A new analysis published by Nature magazine It shows that scientific migration further shapes the Nobel Awards scene. In the case of laureates for physics, chemistry and medicine this century, XXI, over 30% left their native country before winning the prestigious prize, crossing international borders in search of the best research opportunities.
Ștefan W. Hell, the Romanian distinguished with the Nobel Chimie Prize in 2014 Photo YouTube Hkust
The favorite destination of these brilliant minds remains the one over the ocean – the United States – the global epicenter of top science. Of the 202 laureates analyzed, about 70% come from the country in which they obtained the prize, while the rest – 63 researchers – emigrated before being internationally recognized.
Among the recently laureate immigrants include two of the three Nobel laureates for Chemistry in 2025: Richard Robon, born in the United Kingdom, now established in Australia, and Omar Yaghi, the first laureate born in Jordan and resident in the US. Also, two of the Laureates of the Nobel Prize for Physics are immigrants: Michel Devoret, France, and John Clarke, from the United Kingdom, both established in the US. But among the contemporary scholars who migrated there is a Romanian.
In the following lines, you will find out who is the Nobel scientist born in Romania who emigrated abroad and what other Romanians have received this prestigious prize over time. You will also discover what caused the laureates to leave their native places, which are the countries in which the researchers frequently go and what obstacles are facing today. You will also find out how new policies can slow down the rhythm of revolutionary discoveries in a world in which top science depends on the mobility of talent.
Nobel laureate migration for science: from Einstein and Marie Curie to Emil Palade
It is not a novelty: the immigrants have played a central role in the history of the Nobel. Albert Einstein left Germany for Switzerland and later the US, and Marie Curie left Poland in France.
Even George Emil Palade, born in Iași in 1912, emigrated to the United States, where he continued his scientific career, receiving the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1974. Palade was recognized for his fundamental discoveries in cellular biology, especially for the identification of ribosomes and for studies on the structure and function of cellular organisms. He has been active in prestigious institutions, such as Yale University and California University, San Diego. He was also a mentor for many researchers, contributing significantly to the development of his domain.
And Elie Wiesel, born in Sighetu Marmatiei in 1928, another Nobel laureate – this time for peace, in 1986 – emigrated to the United States. Although he was not a scientist, Wiesel has become a prominent figure in the field of human rights and education about Holocaust. He was a professor at Boston University and activated intensely in promoting peace and fighting intolerance.
These are two of the Romanians who exemplify the significant impact of emigration on scientific and humanitarian careers, emphasizing how international mobility can facilitate remarkable discoveries and contributions.
The explanation is simple: the talent can be born anywhere, but the opportunities do not – as Ina Ganguli said, an economist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Ștefan W. Hell – the Romanian who revolutionized the microscope and won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry
However, returning to the laureates of the Nobel Prize for Science of this century, I mentioned that there is a Romanian. This is Stefan W. Hell, born in Arad, in 1962.
Hell left the country at the age of 16, emigrating with his family to Germany. There, his passion for physics was carried from the University of Heidelberg, where he obtained the diploma and the doctorate, to the most prestigious European research laboratories.
His brilliant career led him through top institutions, from the European Molecular Laboratory in Heidelberg and the University of Turku, Finland, to the Max Planck Institute for Biophytes in Göttingen, Germany, where he settled in 1997.
In 2014, Stefan Hell was distinguished with the Nobel Chimie Prize, along with Eric Betzig and William E. Moerner, for the development of the microscopy with higher resolution fluorescence – a revolutionary technique that allows the visualization of cellular structures at the nanometric level. This discovery has opened new horizons in biomedical research and nanotechnology, strengthening it as one of the most influential XXI researchers.
Hurta Müller – The Voice of Romanians in World Culture – Nobel Prize for Literature
On the list of Nobel laureates from the 21st century we also find Herta Müller, born in 1953 in Niţchidorf, Timiș County. It is not part of the laureates in science, but won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2009, after emigrating to Germany in 1987.
German writer and poet, Müller is known for his novels and essays that explore life under the communist regime in Romania, political oppression, censorship and experiences of ethnic minorities. The experience of emigration has deeply influenced its creation, and its work strengthens its position as a distinct voice of world literature.
The stories of Stefan Hell and Hurte Müller are eloquent contemporary examples on how international mobility and access to global opportunities allow Romanian talents to transform both the world of science and the cultural. They demonstrate that the Nobel Prize recognizes excellence and significant impact on society, either research or art.
It is often said that five Romanians have won the Nobel prize over time, referring to the doctor Ioan Moraru. He was part of the organization “Doctors of the world to prevent nuclear war”who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1985. Only the distinction was granted collectively to the organization, not individually, so Moraru is not considered a personal Nobel laureate.
Favorite Destinations of Nobel laureates for science and researchers migration
Another eloquent example of the mobility of Nobel laureates is Andre Geim, a physicist at the University of Manchester and Laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2010. Born in Russia, from German parents, Geim describes his professional course as a game of “Pinball”jumping between Russia, Denmark, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. “If you stay in place all your life, you lose half the game”he says.
Of the 63 laureates who won the Nobel after leaving their native countries, 41 lived in the United States at the time of awarding the prize.
After World War II, the US became a real global hub for science, attracting international researchers through generous grants and top universities. “What we offer in the US is unique. It is the ideal destination for students and top scientists,” explains the economist ina ganguli.
In the second place in preferences is the United Kingdom, which housed 7 Nobel laureates emigrated when they received the famous Stockholm phone, the place of awarding the distinctions.
Countries that formed and exported Nobel laureates for science
Not only the United States attracted the future Nobel laureates: the United Kingdom was, in turn, the witness to leave some bright minds. 13 researchers born in the UK have won their prize while working in other countries, probably attracted by higher salaries and prestigious positions, explains Caroline Wagner, a scientific policy specialist.
Other countries that have seen their laureates “Emigrants” Including Germany, with 6 departed researchers, and Japan, France and Russia, each with 4 laureates who continued their careers abroad. And Romania – see the example of Hell.
These movements emphasize a simple truth: scientific talent is global, and opportunities attract the best researchers where they can prosper.
Physics leads the ranking of Nobel laureates from the 21st century, born abroad
Among the scientific disciplines awarded with Nobel, physics are detached in the international mobility: 37% of the laureates of this century were born in another country. Chemistry follows – with 33% – and medicine – with 23%.
The explanation, according to Caroline Wagner, is of nature and infrastructure: top physics research requires extremely expensive and complex equipment – accelerators of particles, lasers, detectors and telescopes – concentrated in only a few countries. “The top research talents will be moved where the top equipment is located”explains Wagner.
Instead, medicine does not depend on tools as expensive, which allows researchers to stay easier in their native country, without having to emigrate to excel.
Uncertain future for Nobel laureates and international researchers migration
However, the international flow of researchers is facing new obstacles. The prospects regarding the interaction between immigration and Nobel prizes seem more and more insecure. Countries such as Australia, Canada, United Kingdom and Japan have recently introduced restrictions that limit the number of international students admitted to universities, as well as financial support for foreign researchers.
In the US, grant reductions and stricter immigration policies of Trump administration threatens with a possible “Exod of brains”as Caroline Wagner warns, a specialist in scientific policies at the Ohio State University. In addition, a new US policy requires a $ 100,000 fee for each H-1B visa application, essential for many foreign researchers who want to work in the US.
In conclusion, the international mobility of the researchers remains essential for the scientific progress and for the achievements of the Nobel prize laureates, including for Romanians who emigrated and contributed to remarkable innovations. Recent restrictions and policies risk slowing down the rhythm of discoveries and scientific progress, highlighting the importance of global opportunities for top talents.
