Ratish Chandra Gupta
The COVID-19 pandemic has propelled the research and higher education sectors to the forefront of public attention. Meanwhile, the pandemic is undermining the ability of researchers to do their jobs and of universities to provide a high-quality and safe educational experience for students. The troubling effects of the pandemic on research and higher education are coming into sharp focus. Immediate challenges such as campus safety, university admissions processes, and online learning arrangements are dominating the discussion. But the pandemic will have complex, unexpected, and long-term implications for research that must be anticipated now. Protecting and strengthening research in the midst of COVID-19 will require thoughtful and concerted efforts on the part of governments, funders, universities, and academic communities to collaboratively develop, implement, and fund long-term plans that elevate the voices of students and researchers in national policy decisions. Sustainable research systems are vital, not just to the success of pandemic responses but also to the health of all societies the world over.