It’s time to boycott U.S. conferences

In yet another rant on Truth Social, U.S. President Donald Trump on Aug. 30 called Canada one of the “worst abusers” and boldly stated that he does not want “Canadian anything.” As academics, we should take him at his word and stop going to U.S. conferences. If he does not want anything Canadian, we should certainly not spend our research money (a large portion of which comes from government-funded grants and university allowances) in the U.S. We can justify a travel boycott from a credibility point of view, a moral perspective, and for some practical reasons.  

A travel boycott upholds our credibility as academics 

I think that most of us agree with the assessment that Mr. Trump’s economic war is unprovoked, insulting and deeply hurtful for Canadian businesses. The Trump administration behaves like a bully that wants to force Canada into submission. Rightfully, we decry this imperialist, rude and insulting behavior. In the vast majority, we also agree that Prime Minister Mark Carney was right to walk away from a trade deal on Aug. 21 that was highly unbalanced and attacked key issues of Canadian sovereignty. In short, most of us have been fast in decrying a bully. Yet not all of us have considered personal actions.   

The reality we are facing is that we are in a trade war that will make Canadian businesses suffer and will make workers lose their jobs. In this situation, we should put our actions where our mouths are. In other words, we should not decry Mr. Trump and then bring Canadian taxpayers’ money to the U.S. Rather, we should refrain from travelling stateside for professional reasons until this trade war is over. This strengthens our credibility as academics and sends a strong signal of support not only to the government, but also to our fellow Canadians, especially those who personally suffer from the Trump administration’s unprovoked trade war.  

A travel boycott is morally justified 

Since Trump II, attacks on academic freedom have been low-hanging fruit within the American administration’s broader autocratization strategy. To illustrate: just one day into his second term, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14173, entitled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity.” This order decried Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) related language and research as inherently harmful to America’s ideology and its values. Subsequent orders and policies allowed the government to assume more central control of U.S. universities; cut student financial aid; and restrict researchers’ funding. The results of these policies, coupled with pressure campaigns directed against institutions of higher education, are ideological compliance, self-censorship and changes to the content that is taught. A boycott of U.S. conferences is a means of opposing these infringements of academic freedoms. Because of strong entry restrictions, a boycott can also be a way of saying “no” to a climate that prevents international researchers from many parts of the world from travelling to the U.S.  

A travel boycott can strengthen academia in Canada 

In 2024, the last time I attended a conference in the U.S., it cost me roughly C$3500. If we simply spend this money at home, we can support Canadian institutions and domestic networking, and potentially entice international conferences to go elsewhere than the United States (and Canada could be a prime destination).  

Collaborations and networking should continue 

I want to make a distinction in this call to action. The decision “I won’t attend conferences in the U.S.” is not the same as “I will not collaborate with American scholars.” Literally all U.S. scholars I know are critical of the Trump administration; they do not support the policies against Canada, and they oppose the administration’s infringements on academic freedoms. All my friends in the U.S. understand, and often support, my position with regards to conferences in their country, and I see absolutely no reason to stop working with my American colleagues. In times of Zoom and Teams, there is always a way to continue collaborating.  

I ask all Canadian academics to join me and many others to refrain from going to the U.S. for professional reasons until this trade war is over.  

Of course, such a move does not come without a cost, especially for junior scholars who might rely on new networks in the U.S. more than senior scholars do. Yet networks exist outside of North America; US academics attend international conferences; and in the 21st century, contacts can be made online.  

It is worth noting that I make this appeal to boycott business travel south of the border as someone who earned his PhD in the U.S. in 2010. I am extremely grateful for the education I received in Connecticut. I regularly attended the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting and other conferences and workshops for years. Yet I have not crossed the border since President Trump’s second inauguration, and I will continue to avoid doing so at least until this trade war is over.  

I never thought that I would call for a professional boycott of our neighbours to the south, but extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures.