The Backlash against Globalization and its Impact on Mobility and International Migration of Human Resources in Science and Technology
Keywords:
skilled mobility and migration, neo-nationalism, higher education policy, Trump administration, globalizationAbstract
This article examines the shift marked by Donald Trump’s arrival to the U.S. presidency in 2025, with particular attention to his migration and higher education policies, in order to analyze their consequences for skilled mobility and migration. The new administration’s measures—cuts to scientific funding, confrontation with elite universities, and the reconfiguration of migration policy—directly affect highly qualified students and workers. The U.S. case is situated within the broader rise of “neo-nationalism,” a concept that encompasses anti-immigrant rhetoric, restrictions on civil liberties, and hostility toward university autonomy. These trends can alter patterns of academic mobility, internationalization, and the production of advanced knowledge. The paper reviews recent trends, analyzes the transformations in migration and higher education policies, discusses their potential impacts, and highlights the methodological challenges involved in measuring rapidly evolving processes.
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