**The Critical State of Academic and Scientific Research in Argentina Under Javier Milei’s Presidency**
The scientific community in Argentina has been confronting escalating hardships since Javier Milei, the far-right president, assumed office in December. The Milei administration has enacted severe reductions to national education and science funding, leading to widespread apprehension among scholars, researchers, and university personnel. Key individuals within the scientific sector are sounding alarms over an ongoing “exodus” of talent, as researchers and professors pursue opportunities elsewhere, both in Argentina’s private sector and internationally, due to the declining conditions in public universities and research entities.
### Budget Reductions and Demonstrations
Since Milei came to power, numerous major budget reductions have signaled a clear ideological shift away from emphasizing education, public universities, and scientific inquiry. During his brief time in office, Milei rapidly downgraded Argentina’s Ministry of Science, abolished funding increases for research facilities, and imposed a freeze on science budgets. A particularly damaging measure was when his administration froze the budget of the National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) at its 2023 levels. CONICET serves as a vital source of support for approximately 12,000 scientists at nearly 300 institutions throughout Argentina. This same funding freeze was extended to publicly funded universities nationwide.
These financial reductions have paralyzed the functioning of these institutions, leading to drastic salary cuts and a suspension of research activities. Consequently, the academic community took to the streets. On October 2nd, around 1,000 academics, professors, and researchers marched in protests, while concurrently, over 270,000 students, educators, and concerned citizens participated in demonstrations in Buenos Aires. Major protests emerged in key cities such as Córdoba, Rosario, and Bariloche, reflecting substantial public apprehension regarding the future of Argentina’s knowledge infrastructure.
Milei’s rigid austerity policies and anti-science narratives have sparked what many label a “war” on science, technology, and culture. In spite of significant dissent—including a letter signed by 70 Nobel laureates in March imploring Milei to reverse cuts to science—the government appears steadfast in its approach. On the same night as the October 2nd protests, Milei vetoed legislative measures aimed at adjusting university budgets for inflation. Argentina’s Congress reaffirmed his decision on October 9th, heightening scientists’ concerns.
### Scientists’ Challenges: Inflation and Salary Dilemma
The budgetary crisis disproportionately affects Argentina’s active scientific researchers in disciplines such as chemistry, biology, and physics. According to **Alberto Kornblihtt**, a distinguished molecular biologist and emeritus professor at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), inflation has surged to nearly 300%. “Salaries have lost approximately 50% of their purchasing power, while accumulated inflation stands at about 144% in just one year,” Kornblihtt expresses.
For scientists and educators working at public universities, this creates an unviable scenario. Salary depreciation has left many of these workers struggling to meet basic living expenses, with some choosing to relocate abroad for better prospects. **Gerardo Burton**, an emeritus professor of chemistry at UBA, emphasizes that “the majority of research in Argentina is conducted in public universities, and low salaries are driving people out of the system, either emigrating to work in universities overseas, transferring to private universities, or transitioning into industry.”
The narrative of an academic “exodus” is no longer merely anecdotal; it has become a well-documented reality impacting Argentina’s academic environment. Salaries for numerous scientific staff roles have plummeted in real terms, decreasing by an estimated 30% to 50% depending on the position.
**Valeria Levi**, a chemist and deputy dean at UBA’s School of Exact and Natural Sciences, further articulates the issue by detailing how teaching assistants—often at the postdoctoral or early independent research stage—earn a mere $620 monthly, while the average rent for a modest apartment in Buenos Aires hovers around $400. “This is leading to a significant migration of young scientists and teaching assistants to other countries, at a scale we’ve never witnessed before,” Levi cautions. This academic migration, particularly in such specialized areas, not only undermines Argentina’s current research capabilities but also delays the nation’s scientific potential for decades to come.
### Political Indifference and Lost Opportunities
One particularly perplexing aspect of this crisis is the existence of alternative funding avenues that Milei’s government has opted not to pursue. Media reports indicate that millions in international contributions—designated for scientific initiatives—have remained untapped since December 2023. **Alicia Caballero**, the former President of the National Agency for the Promotion of Research, Technological Development, and Innovation, recently resigned, citing the decisions of Milei’s administration, which she characterized as political maneuvers to “paralyze” funds that had already been approved for innovation. The choice not to utilize these funds has intensified Argentina’s scientific crisis, rendering numerous ongoing research projects unable to proceed.
High-level concerns