A wave of European initiatives aimed at luring international researchers, particularly those from the US,��is showing early signs of success, but experts say the continent must address structural issues if it wants to turn a spike in interest into a lasting shift.

“There is a huge difference between stating a preference and actually moving,” said Marco Seeber, a professor at the University of Agder who studies academic mobility. While recent figures point to rising applications from abroad, he stressed that the trend was likely driven more by “push factors” elsewhere than by Europe’s own appeal.

“I see it more as a contingency,” he said, linked to worsening conditions in other parts of the world.

Across Europe, governments have launched or expanded a range of programmes aimed at attracting foreign researchers over the past year. Many were��designed to attract top international talent, particularly from the��US where researchers have faced funding cuts�����Ի���growing concerns over academic freedom.��

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��from Germany’s “1,000-Heads-Plus” programme, launched in July last year, show applications to German Research Foundation grants rose by 33 per cent in the second half of 2025 compared��with the same period last year, while Alexander von Humboldt fellowships for US-based researchers jumped 32 per cent year-on-year, including a 63 per cent surge in the final quarter.

France’s “Choose France for Science” programme picked 46 laureates from 119 applicants in its first wave, 41 from the US.��Similar schemes are running��in the Netherlands, Spain and at EU level through the “Choose Europe” initiative.

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“The signs are encouraging, but I think there is a lot of work to be done,” said Seeber. One of the biggest concerns is what happens when researchers arrive. European academic job markets could be heavily skewed toward locals, making it difficult for international researchers to secure permanent positions, Seeber warned. “You can attract as many people as you want. If you don’t have a way to integrate them effectively and give them the same chances, it’s not going to last long.”

Mario Mariniello, a non-resident fellow at Brussels-based economic thinktank Bruegel, also warned that, for researchers, the move can be costly in many different ways.

“The extent to which the shift in mobility is structural will depend largely on European countries being able to up their long-term ‘package’ offering. It’s not only about short-term research grants,” he said. “Attracting and keeping talent also requires creating the right ecosystem. Increasing salaries is just one of the actions to be taken, but there are many others: improving access to infrastructure, to financing, to markets.”

Mariniello pointed to the forthcoming European Innovation Act as a step towards making countries more attractive to international researchers in the long run. “We need a thriving academic environment – it is not enough to simply free-ride on the US shooting themselves in the foot with self-defeating anti-research policies,” he added.

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Others point to deeper structural constraints that could limit Europe’s appeal. Director of research and innovation at the European University Association, Vinciane Gaillard, said Europe could become a “real magnet for talent from around the world”, but only if the right conditions were in place. “Talent is attracted not only by excellence, but also by stable funding, strong institutions and credible career prospects,” she said, adding that “too many researchers still depend on fixed-term contracts tied to short project cycles”.

Bernd Parusel, a senior researcher at the Swedish Institute for European Policy Studies, said European countries could do a lot more to attract international researchers. “Many early-career academics in Europe struggle with limited funding opportunities, huge workloads and short-term, temporary contracts, especially perhaps in the humanities and the social sciences,” he said.

“But there seems to be some momentum now, and the fact that there are lasting concerns about academic freedom in the US is an opportunity for Europe to step up,” Parusel added.��

seher.asaf@timeshighereducation.com��