India also to join Horizon Europe

Fourteen non-EU countries have joined the Horizon programme in just over five years, with Japan being the most recent addition in January. Negotiations are also underway with Australia.

Now, India's participation is also being explored, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced today. Scientists from that country may be eligible for European research funding in the future, as part of a broader trade agreement between the EU and India.

To participate in Horizon, countries must contribute financially. India's exact contribution is still to be negotiated, but partner countries often spend more on Horizon than they receive from the programme.

Freedom
"Academic freedom matters to us," von der Leyen emphasises. However, academic freedom in India is under severe pressure. According to the latest annual report Free to Think, authored by Scholars at Risk, academic freedom in India has been "completely restricted".

The Indian government is increasingly interfering in higher education, the report says. Teachers are being dismissed, student protests are being violently suppressed by the police, and the diplomas of pro-Palestinian students are being withheld.

Ally
Involving India in Horizon Europe not only strengthens the exchange of knowledge and talent between the country and the bloc, but also gives the EU a strategic ally. Egypt, a country with high levels of corruption, little democracy and hardly any academic freedom, was also allowed to join Horizon for the same reason.

European Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva previously referred to science and innovation as a geopolitical currency: an international medium of exchange or payment. "Today, more than ever, science, technology and innovation translate into power and geopolitical influence."