While the U.S. squanders its edge, Europe seizes the opportunity?
The U.S. brain drain is a warning sign — and a window of opportunity. Europe can rise, but only if it resists short-sighted policies.
Published on May 11, 2025
Bart, co-founder of Media52 and Professor of Journalism oversees IO+, events, and Laio. A journalist at heart, he keeps writing as many stories as possible.
Professor Scott Galloway’s recent analysis of the “brain drain” afflicting U.S. universities lays bare a growing crisis. For decades, America’s preeminence in innovation wasn’t a matter of destiny — it was built through deliberate public investment, global openness, and elite academic ecosystems. Today, however, U.S. policy choices risk eroding that edge. The withdrawal of funding, the politicization of education, and rising hostility toward international students are undermining the very engines of American innovation.
For Europe, this is not just an alarm bell. It’s an opening. A once-in-a-generation chance to reclaim academic and technological leadership — but only if we act quickly and boldly. That window will slam shut if Europe mimics the same inward-looking, budget-cutting policies. And in the Netherlands, the signs are ominous.
The opportunity: Global talent is on the move
The world’s brightest students, researchers, and entrepreneurs go where they feel welcome and supported. For decades, that place was the United States. Now, as Galloway notes, international enrollment in U.S. graduate programs in computer science has dropped by 14%. American universities are becoming less hospitable, less affordable, and less attractive. That’s not just bad for the U.S., it’s a geopolitical gift to others.
China is already luring talents, but Europe could be the new beacon with its cultural richness, political stability, and strong academic traditions. Visibility matters. Despite being home to world-class researchers and institutions, European universities remain underrepresented in global rankings. The reason is not quality - it’s fragmentation, underfunding, and inconsistent strategies.
We must recognize higher education and research as infrastructure, vital to a nation’s competitiveness, as railways, energy grids, or semiconductors. It requires long-term investment, international collaboration, and coordinated visibility. This means supporting world-class research centers, attracting global talent, and committing to policies that amplify, not restrict, the role of higher education in society.
The Dutch paradox: global ambitions, local retrenchment
Nowhere is the gap between opportunity and reality more jarring than in the Netherlands. As a country that has long punched above its weight in science and innovation (five of our universities are in the global top-100, a #6 position behind the U.S., China, the U.K., Germany, and Australia), the Dutch could be leading this European renaissance. Instead, recent government proposals threaten to reverse years of progress.
Warnings around consequences of Dutch Education Budget: 'Severe damage for the Netherlands if proposed policy is implemented'
Stagnating growth of labor productivity in the Netherlands, the fight against English courses and the cutback of the Practical Training Subsidy Scheme are a thorn in the side of business associations.
The decision to cut hundreds of millions from the higher education budget and the push to limit English-language instruction are more than penny-wise and pound-foolish. They are self-sabotage. The Netherlands has rightly built a reputation as an open, internationally minded knowledge economy. Dutch universities rank among the world’s best in fields from quantum computing to agritech, thanks in large part to their international outlook.
Curtailing English education and discouraging foreign students sends the wrong message to the very talent we should be trying to attract. It also undermines the economic model that depends on these students, many of whom stay, work, and contribute to Dutch society long after graduation.
As the rest of the world competes for talent and innovation capacity, now is the time to expand, not shrink. If the Netherlands doesn’t want the best minds, rest assured: other countries will take them in with open arms.
A strategic European response
The Netherlands is not on its own in this uphill battle. On the contrary, it can only be won in a joint European effort. Europe must recognize that the global education landscape is shifting. It’s not enough to critique American missteps. We must offer a credible, attractive alternative. That means:
- Doubling down on investment in higher education and frontier research, especially in AI, photonics, life sciences, and climate tech.
- Creating a true European university strategy, with global branding, mobility programs, and visibility in rankings to rival the Ivy League and UC system.
- Building a unified talent pipeline — from student visa policies to affordable housing — that makes Europe the easiest and most exciting place to study, research, and start a company.
- Defending academic freedom and openness, especially in politically turbulent times.
And to make Europe even more attractive, a flexible exchange system could be extremely helpful: what student or researcher would not be tempted by the opportunity to gain knowledge successively in Bologna, Oxford, Leiden, Salamanca, and Heidelberg?
A test for Europe
The U.S. brain drain isn’t just a problem for America; it’s a test for Europe. Will we rise to the occasion, or retreat into the same protectionist instincts?
The Netherlands should be at the forefront of this new wave. But that will require vision and courage. Cutting education budgets and pushing away international talent may score short-term political points, but they will cost us dearly in long-term prosperity and influence.
Let’s learn from America's mistakes, not repeat them.