• 

• 

• 

• 

The implications of scientific papers and findings transcend geographical borders. Scientific discoveries can have benefits or repercussions for all of humanity and the planet. Similarly, science requires international collaboration. Scientists will travel far and wide throughout their career, from international conferences to remote field sites, irrespective of national borders. Where one lab is lacking equipment, a lab in a different country may have it; where one museum is lacking a specimen, a foreign museum may hold it in its collections.

However, politics and policy can hinder the connectivity on which scientific progress relies. Political tensions can cause scientists to be refused entry into certain countries, or limit their mobility within that country. Likewise, political unrest in a given country can deter scientists from travelling, or taking up research positions there. Donald Trump’s position on immigration, for example, is already hindering international scientific collaboration according to the journal Nature.

Government funding policies for scientific research vary from country to country. For example, between 2010 and 2017, the UK received an average of €6.8 billion in funding from the European Union. Scientists have expressed grave concerns over Brexit’s impact on this funding, and the loss of scientific talent and expertise due to potential immigration policies and political uncertainty.

Geography can also create walls to scientific progress that are closer to home. For example, in South Kensington, one of London’s richest boroughs, many will struggle to live close to Imperial College due to the extreme cost of housing, and even travelling to the area for conferences, talks, or meetings, is hugely expensive.

Scientific progress requires international collaboration and has international ramifications. For the sake of science, let’s keep it that way. This year marks the 30 year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. When the world is becoming increasingly obsessed with building them, let’s break down the walls in science!