The UM and the Udice Alliance support the “Stand Up for Science” initiative
The University of Montpellier and the other member institutions of Udice are joining the “Stand Up for Science France” initiative, which calls on the French scientific community to take action to denounce and confront the threats facing science and scientific research in the United States.
Since Donald Trump took office, the American scientific community has faced drastic measures—budget cuts, layoffs of researchers, and the elimination of key programs—that undermine academic freedom and international cooperation.
In response to recent decisions by the Trump administration, the French Academy of Sciences, on the one hand, and the “Stand Up for Science France” movement, on the other, are calling on the scientific communities to speak out against these threats and to take action. The University of Montpellier and the other member institutions of Udice, an alliance of research-intensive universities, are joining this movement and reaffirming their commitment to academic freedom and scientific dialogue at the international level.
Science, which is essential to our understanding of the world, is founded on the fundamental principles of freedom, integrity, and cooperation—principles that ensure its positive impact on our societies. To jeopardize these principles is to undermine our collective ability to address the major challenges of our time.
In response to the call from the French Academy of Sciences and in support of the “Stand Up for Science France” initiative, the University of Montpellier and all members of Udice invite their scientific communities to actively seek ways to maintain ongoing scientific collaborations, ensure open access to high-quality scientific data—an essential principle of open science—and express their support during the March 7, 2025, movement.