National Forum: The Decline of Foreign Student Applications to U.S. Graduate School Science and Engineering Programs: Aberration or Trend?

The University of California, Irvine and the Merage Foundations are hosting an important strategic Forum on the post 9/11 decline of foreign student applications to science and engineering programs in U.S. Graduate Schools. The invitation only Forum will take place on the evening of October 16 and during the day on October 17 on the UCI campus.  The Forum will be attended by top business, government, and university leaders. The Forum will explore questions related to the likely extent of the decline as well as its short and long term effect on enrollments. Forum participants  will also discuss the impact of a long term decline on U.S. ability to compete in a global economy. Finally, Forum participants will develop recommendations that balance needed security objectives with needed flexibility re. foreign student applications and enrollment. A report will be published summarizing the proceedings and conclusions.  To receive the report, e mail Mkaplan@meragefoundations.com

We are pleased to provide readers with three papers relevant to the National Forum on the Decline of Foreign Student Applications to U.S. Graduate School Science and Engineering Programs.  Two of the papers, the paper by Dr. Frank Bean called A Canary in the Mine Shaft and the paper by Stuart Anderson titled International Students and U.S. Policy Choices were commissioned by the University of California, Irvine and the Merage Foundations.  The third paper authored by Dr. Keith Maskus et al titled The Contribution of Skilled Immigrants and International Graduate Students to U.S. Innovation is under review by publishers.

Each of the papers provide important information and analysis appropo to the issues associated with the decline of foreign student applications and will be discussed at the Forum by participants. Forum participants as well as others might like to also read other papers associated with foreign student applications to and enrollments in U.S. graduate schools.   We cite some key papers here: Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States,  National Academies Press, Washington D.C (www.nap.edu/catalog/11289.html); A Comprehensive National Policy on International Education, American Council on Education, Washington, D.C (www.acenet.edu/bookstore); Border Security, Improvements Needed to Reduce Time taken to Adjudicate Visas for Science Students and Scholars (www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?gao-04-371 2004); Open Doors Report Institute for International Education (http://opendoors.iienetwork.org); Association of American Universities Press Release 5/18/2005: Recommendations for Enhancing The U.S. Visa System to Advance America’s Scientific and Economic Competitiveness and National Security Interests (www.aau.edu/homeland/students.cfm). Stewart, Debra W. “Five Trends Shaping Graduate Education: The Leadership Challenge,” CGS Communicator, August/September 2005, pp 1-2,7,  Http:www.cgsnet.org/pdf/augSept05com.pdf; Brown, Heath and Doulis, Maria, Findings from 2005 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey 1, March 10,2005, Http://www.cgsnet.org/pdf/cgs2005Intlapprep.pdff;Stewart,DebraW. “The Brain Drain:US Colleges Losing Foreign Students,” The Boston Globe, May 8,2005, http:/www.cgsnet.org/pdf/StewartBostonGlobe.pdf

Interested readers should also review the article by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs titled U.S. Visa Policy: Securing Borders and Opening Doors.  The article can be found in The Washington Quarterly 28:2 pp. 23-34, Spring 2005.