Why does Norway punish mobile scientists?

At the New Haven science march, a physics professor held up a poster of Albert Einstein. He was a migrant, too. Fleeing persecution from Europe, he and his compatriots contributed to building strong research institutions in the United States. Science benefits from the mobility of researchers, also today, as new research published in the journal Science and Nature demonstrates. Scientists take with themselves the competence, experience with different methods, approaches, and organizational structures. The interaction of these different experiences stimulates new development. Migrating scientists are particularly good in coming up with new ideas, making discoveries with far-reaching consequences, the new research shows.

Yet as migration is under pressure, so is scientific mobility. As countries make migration unattractive, they punish scientists. Surprisingly, it is not only the Donald Trumps of the world, but also seemingly nice countries such as Norway that act decisively to punish migrating scientists.

I moved to Norway after my PhD at UC Berkeley. I became one of the first professors in Industrial Ecology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, built up a strong research programme that received funding from industry, the European Commission, Japan, Sweden. I started an international Master programme, served on the International Resource Panel and the IPCC. In 2015, the Research Council of Norway evaluated engineering research in Norway and ranked my research groups as one of the top 3 research groups in Norway. I was the most cited researcher according to the bibliometric analysis supporting the assessment.

In 2015, I was recruited by Yale University, one of the top global universities. Looking for new challenges, I took the opportunity. I had little idea that Norway would punish me for leaving! In the period I lived there, Norway changed its tax code from the European norm to demand taxes on global income from people emigrating. For three years after leaving the country, emigrants have to file a tax return and are liable for full taxes on their foreign income and wealth, minus whatever protection they get from a tax treaty. After much hassle, I have now received my Norwegian tax bill for 2016 - $15000.

Norway is a country with high taxes and high benefits. As you leave, you take with you the high rate, but none of the benefits. The tax treaty is of help, if tax systems are similar. In Norway, local taxes are on wealth and income. In the US, they are on property. I pay local taxes both in Trondheim and New Haven.

I consider the Norwegian tax rule unfair. I do not understand what I am being punished for, or why. It makes it impossible for me to consider a sabbatical in Norway, staying in touch with the research group I have built there, as the clock would start anew. Given the effects this has on my own life, it makes it difficult for me to recommend to any researcher moving to Norway. Unless you sign up for life. Norwegian science only has to loose from rules like this.

So what did the research assessment recommend? More international mobility. Not like this!