Rising Above the Gathering Storm Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future (2007) / Chapter Skim
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7 What Actions Should America Take in Science and Engineering Higher Education to Remain Prosperous in the 21st Century?
7 What Actions Should America Take in Science and Engineering Higher Education to Remain Prosperous in the 21st Century?
Pages 162-181
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From page 162... ...
In this context, the focus of global competition is no longer only on manufacturing and trade but also on the production of knowledge and the development and recruitment of the "best and brightest" from around the world. Developed and developing nations alike are investing in higher education, often on the model of US colleges and universities.
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From page 163... ...
Many of the international students educated in the United States choose to remain here after receiving their degrees, and they contribute much to our ability to create knowledge, produce technological innovations, and generate jobs throughout the economy. The proportion of international doctorate recipients remaining in the United States after receiving their degrees increased from 49% in the 1989 cohort to 71% in 2001.7 But the consequences of the events of September 11, 2001, included drastic changes in visa processing, and the number of international students applying to and enrolling in US graduate programs declined substantially.
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From page 164... ...
In fact, in some areas we have just the opposite.a For example, during the last decade, there have been surpluses of life scientists at the doctoral level, high unemployment of engineers, and layoffs in the information technology sector in the aftermath of the "dot-bomb." Although there have been concerns about declining enrollments of US citizens in undergraduate engineering programs and in science and engineering graduate education, and these concerns have been com pounded by recent declines in enrollments of international graduate stu dents, enrollments in undergraduate engineering and of US citizens in graduate science and engineering have recently risen. All of this suggests that the recommendations for additional support for thousands of undergraduates and graduates could be setting those students up for jobs that might not exist.
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From page 165... ...
The Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century proposes four actions to improve the talent pool in postsecondary education in the sciences and engineering: stimulate the interest of US citizens in undergraduate study by providing a new program of 4-year undergraduate scholarships; facilitate graduate education by providing new, portable fellowships; provide tax credits to companies and other organizations that provide continuing education for their practicing scientists and engineers; and recruit and retain the best and brightest students, scientists, and engineers worldwide by making the United States the most attractive place to study, conduct research, and commercialize technological innovations. ACTION C-1: UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Increase the number and proportion of US citizens who earn bachelor's degrees in the physical sciences, the life sciences, engineering, and mathematics by providing 25,000 new 4-year competitive undergraduate scholarships each year to US citizens attending US institutions.
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From page 166... ...
Furthermore, it has been found that, for example, undergraduate training in engineering forms an excellent foundation for graduate work in such fields as business, law, and medicine. Finally, it is clear that an inadequate supply of scientists and engineers can be highly detrimental to the nation's well-being.
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From page 167... ...
BEST goes on to note that even with all the design principles in place, comprehensive financial assistance for low-income students is critical be 9National Science and Technology Council. Ensuring a Strong US Scientific, Technical, and Engineering Workforce in the 21st Century.
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From page 168... ...
, a new scholarship program that would provide 5,000 new portable 3-year competitively awarded graduate fellowships each year for outstanding US citizens in science, mathematics, and engineering programs pursuing degrees at US universities. Portable fellowships would provide funds directly to students, who would choose where they wish to pursue graduate studies instead of having to follow faculty research grants.
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From page 169... ...
Defense Education Program -- National Defense Education Act (NDEA) , Phase I
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From page 170... ...
Most of these grants are provided either to institutions or directly to students by the NSF's Graduate Research Fellowship program and Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT) or by the National Institutes of Health Ruth L
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From page 171... ...
As the recent COSEPUP study, Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States, says: Recruiting domestic science and engineering (S&E) talent depends heavily on students' perception of the S&E careers that await them.
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From page 172... ...
ACTION C-3: CONTINUING EDUCATION To keep practicing scientists and engineers productive in an environment of rapidly changing science and technology, the federal government should provide tax credits to employers who help their eligible employees pursue continuing education. The committee's recommendations are as follows: • The federal government should authorize a tax credit of up to $500 million each year to encourage companies to sustain the knowledge and skills of their scientific and engineering workforce by offering opportunities for professional development.
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From page 173... ...
ACTION C-4: IMPROVE VISA PROCESSING The federal government should continue to improve visa processing for international students and scholars to provide less complex procedures, and continue to make improvements on such issues as visa categories and duration, travel for scientific meetings, the technology alert list, reciprocity agreements, and changes in status. Since 9/11, the nation has struggled to improve security by more closely screening international visitors, students, and workers.
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From page 174... ...
The process, established in 1998 and applicable to all nonimmigrant visa categories, is triggered when a student or exchangevisitor applicant intends to study a subject on the technology alert list. The committee endorses the recommendations made by the National Academies in Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States,12 particularly Recommendation 4-2, which states the following: If the United States is to maintain leadership in S&E, visa and immigration policies should provide clear procedures that do not unnecessarily hinder the inflow of international graduate students and postdoctoral scholars.
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From page 175... ...
ACTION C-5: EXTEND VISAS AND EXPEDITE RESIDENCE STATUS OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PHDS The federal government should provide a 1-year automatic visa extension to international students who receive doctorates or the equivalent in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or other fields of national need at qualified US institutions to remain in the United States to seek employment. If these students are offered jobs by US-based employers and pass a security screening test, they should be provided automatic work permits and expedited residence status.
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From page 176... ...
As discussed in COSEPUP's international students report, a knowledgedriven economy is more productive if it has access to the best talent regardless of national origin. International graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are integral to the quality and effectiveness of the US science and engineering (S&E)
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From page 177... ...
If these students are offered jobs by US-based employers and pass a security screening test, they should be provided automatic work permits and expedited residence status. If students are unable to obtain employment within 1 year, their visas would expire.
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From page 178... ...
For the United States to remain competitive with Europe, Canada, and Australia in attracting these international highly skilled workers, the United States should implement a points-based immigration system. As discussed in a recent Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report,16 skill-based immigration points systems, although not widespread, are starting to develop.
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From page 179... ...
The Office for Foreigners will issue both permits concurrently, and the Labor Administration subsequently approves the work permit. • UK18 The UK Highly Skilled Migrant Programme (HSMP)
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From page 180... ...
that are available for purchase on the overseas open market from foreign or US companies or that have manuals that are available in the public domain, in libraries, over the Internet, or from manufacturers. The controls governed by the Export Administration Act and its implementing regulations extend to the transfer of "technology." Technology is considered "specific information necessary for the ‘development,' ‘production,' or ‘use' of a product," and providing such information to a foreign national within the United States may be considered a "deemed export" whose transfer requires an export license21 (italics added)
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From page 181... ...
on the transfer of militarily sensitive technology to countries and entities of concern; the 2004 reports focused on deemed exports. The individual agency IG reports and a joint interagency report concluded that enforcement of deemed-export regulations had been ineffective; most of the agency reports recommended particular regulatory remedies.22 DOC sought comments from the public about the recommendations from its IG before proposing any changes.
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