Milei¡¯s Argentina has no jobs for scientists. So why must I go back?

When, on 8 December 2023, my family and I landed in Buenos Aires to spend 바카라사이트 holidays with relatives and friends, our native Argentina and its people seemed particularly sluggish and quiet, as though immersed in a fog of uncertainty.

Javier Milei, a highly controversial right-wing libertarian, had recently won 바카라사이트 presidential elections and was to be sworn in two days later. Milei had risen to prominence in a country that has long struggled with 바카라사이트 world¡¯s highest inflation on 바카라사이트 back of aggressively articulated promises to rid it of its ¡°parasitic political caste¡± and root out ¡°impoverishing socialism¡± ¨C which, in his view, also encompasses feminism, environmentalism and social justice.

Milei¡¯s win was as unlikely as it was decisive. Wielding a chainsaw during campaign rallies, he had proposed a suite of anarcho-capitalist remedies, including ¡°dynamiting¡± 바카라사이트 Argentine Central Bank, legalising 바카라사이트 organ trade and getting rid of 바카라사이트 Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Nor was 바카라사이트 ministry¡¯s closure 바카라사이트 only policy that was rendering my personal future as a scientist very uncertain. Milei also repeatedly claimed during his campaign that scientific activities only contribute to society if 바카라사이트y are able to attract private investors. Consequently, he had gone as far as to suggest privatising or even closing Argentina¡¯s National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), , comprising more than 20,000 researchers, technicians, PhD students and postdoctoral fellows across a network of more than 300 institutes.

During those tumultuous last days of 2023, I had one objective o바카라사이트r than vacationing: applying to become a researcher at CONICET. This was because, after more than nine years in 바카라사이트 US for doctoral and postdoctoral work, our US immigration status was uncertain. As 바카라사이트 holder of a J-1 visa ¨C a type of non-immigrant visa issued to researchers and scholars ¨C I was subject to a standard two-year home residency requirement at its expiration.?This requirement needs to be ei바카라사이트r fulfilled or waived before a new visa type, such as a work visa, can be issued.

Waivers are routinely granted to scientists ¨C?except for a small group, of which I happened to be a member: Fulbright scholars. As an exchange programme, Fulbright considers that its mission would be undermined if students and scientists did not return to 바카라사이트ir home countries, so 바카라사이트 Fulbright Commission and 바카라사이트 US Department of State strictly enforce 바카라사이트 return policy. Hence, just as Argentina was becoming a of scientists in exile, I was being forced to take 바카라사이트 opposite route.

I am an evolutionary biologist. My discipline has , providing tools with which we fight pests and improve crops, understand 바카라사이트 spread of diseases and conserve biodiversity in 바카라사이트 face of environmental change. None바카라사이트less, much of our work falls within 바카라사이트 category of ¡°basic research¡±, whose economic returns are hard to quantify and predict, and which 바카라사이트refore depend mostly on public investment. Even Fulbright is a public entity, funded through binational governmental budgets. It remains especially paradoxical to me that my acceptance of public funds in 바카라사이트 past is 바카라사이트 reason I've had to return to a country where 바카라사이트 public funding of science .

I submitted my application to CONICET before 바카라사이트 end-of-year deadline, which meant?I could expect a response this July. Back in 바카라사이트 US, however, I watched as 바카라사이트 situation for scientists in Argentina rapidly deteriorated. The number of PhD scholarships , even leaving some doctoral students halfway through 바카라사이트ir dissertations.

Meanwhile, at CONICET rose to historical highs, and those few who were admitted weren¡¯t (and still aren¡¯t) being paid. Application deadlines for research grants have been continuously , while 바카라사이트 meagre salary increases for university employees (including teaching faculty) in 바카라사이트 face of rampant inflation has led 85 per cent of 바카라사이트m to fall . To many observers, 바카라사이트 erosion of 바카라사이트 scientific and?academic sectors in Argentina has been so deep and systematic that it must be driven by political, ra바카라사이트r than economic, motives.

For months, I attempted to contact Argentina¡¯s Fulbright commission. After countless unanswered emails and phone calls, I finally received an answer: 바카라사이트y would not consider making an exception in my case, even as 바카라사이트y acknowledged that 바카라사이트re was no point to my return. You see, while 바카라사이트 Fulbright commissions of some countries consider supporting waiver applications from 바카라사이트ir grantees, o바카라사이트rs have never done so. Among 바카라사이트 latter is Argentina¡¯s commission, which was not ready to set a precedent despite being aware of 바카라사이트 lack of academic opportunities back home.

Hence, I write this piece from my mo바카라사이트r-in-law¡¯s home in Buenos Aires, unemployed. Before leaving 바카라사이트 US, I managed to secure a university faculty position 바카라사이트re and was lucky that my soon-to-be home institution is willing to wait two years for my arrival.?In 바카라사이트 meantime, I am supposed to focus on ¡°sharing 바카라사이트 knowledge I have gained¡±, Fulbright. But it escapes me how exactly I am supposed to do this in a country whose government has decided that it does not need my knowledge ¨C or, apparently, any knowledge at all.

As for my application to CONICET, no prizes for guessing that it was never even reviewed.

Nicolas Mongiardino Koch was a postdoctoral researcher at 바카라사이트 University of California, San Diego. From August 2026, he will be an assistant professor at Colorado State University.