Building America's Global Competitiveness

In October 2005, the University of California Irvine and the Merage Foundations co-hosted an important National Leadership Forum. The Forum brought together high-level government, business, non-profit and University leaders. During the one and a half-day session, participants discussed problems associated with the apparent decline of foreign student applications and enrollment in U.S. graduate school engineering and science programs. They also focused on the frustrating recruitment and retention difficulties faced by U.S. companies and universities in seeking foreign scientists and engineers. The participants agreed that the U.S. would suffer in the increasingly competitive global economy if it did not create a welcoming environment for foreign graduate engineering and science students and for foreign scientists and engineers. Despite their diverse backgrounds, the participants reached consensus on policy options to increase the ability of the United States to attract students and scientists as well as engineers from other nations. 

Download documents in PDF format:      

Foreign Scientists and Engineers Update January 2008

Foreign Scientists and Engineers Update October 2007

Foreign Scientists and Engineers Update February 2007

Foreign Scientists and Engineers Update November 2006

Attracting Talent: The Need for Foreign Scientists and Engineers Newsletter June 2006

Full October 2005 Merage/UCI Forum Report