I’m currently a postdoc at ETH Zurich. I think it’s very similar to a highly ranked US university in that the majority of researchers past master level come fro

I’m currently a postdoc at ETH Zurich. I think it’s very similar to a highly ranked US university in that the majority of researchers past master level come from all over the world and tend to be some of the smartest from each place. It’s really a matter of attracting talent. The US should be careful not to loose that leadership e.g. due to overzealous new immigration laws. Populist politics (and I count some of the leftist ‘postmodern’ agenda there as well) are immensely dangerous to a nation’s ability to lead in science and modern economy.