International Higher Education, May 1995

International Higher Education: America Abdicates Leadership

Internationalism is a central focus of higher education policy worldwide. Nations recognize that they operate in a global economy, and that understanding other societies and cultures is both valuable in its own right and necessary to be competitive. Our argument here is that internationalism is mandatory for any higher education system in the 21st century. What is amazing to us is that while the rest of the world's universities are becoming more international, the United States shows signs of de-emphasizing internationalism in its higher education system. In the United States, international programs are under attack in Washington, while America's major competitors - the nations of Western Europe and Japan - are rapidly expanding their international efforts, devoting money and energy to a wide range of initiatives. The Fulbright program, America's flagship international education effort, faces severe budget cuts in Washington. The National Security Education Program, established in 1991 as the first major federal initiative in international education in several decades, is threatened with extinction even before it is fully underway. While many colleges and universities have included a greater emphasis on international studies in curricular reforms in recent years, fiscal problems have prevented full implementation.

The United States is a paradox. On the one hand, the U. S. academic system contains significant international elements. And it is arguably the center of research in most scientific fields worldwide, attracting international attention. English is the dominant language of world science - the Latin of the modern era - and most of the major scientific journals are edited in the United States. According to the Institute for International Education, the United States is host to 450,000 foreign students out of a worldwide total of approximately one million. The United States also takes in more than 60,000 visiting scholars annually. Many scientists and scholars from abroad hold professorships in American universities. This dominant international presence in American education and research, contrary to general belief, is largely financed by external sources. International education and research are export commodities that make significant contributions to the national U.S. economy as well as that of many local communities. Higher education is a major "export industry" - one that deserves stimulation and not contraction. Current trends, in our view, will mean that the United States will lose its competitive edge in yet another area.

According to a recent Carnegie Foundation survey of faculty in 14 countries, American professors are the least internationally minded. U. S. faculty go abroad for research or sabbaticals less than do their peers in other major countries, and they seldom read journals or books published elsewhere. In general, American professors do not actively support international education, fearing enrollment losses in their majors or simply feeling that internationalism is not central to their subjects and disciplines. Fiscal cutbacks have meant that international initiatives are suffering at the state and campus levels. Some state governments recognize the importance of competitiveness, and realize internationalism's role. But beyond trade missions overseas, there is usually little follow through where it counts - with the next generation of business and high-tech leaders now on the campuses. Allocations to higher education have commonly been cut, and international initiatives have not been supported in state budgetary allocations. Colleges and universities, faced with difficult budgetary decision, seldom choose to expand foreign language offerings or support study abroad programs.

American universities are notoriously poor in teaching foreign languages, and few students have a working knowledge of a foreign language. Only an infinitesimal number take such important but "non-mainstream" languages as Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, or Hindi. Only 70,000 American students study abroad - about 1 percent of undergraduates at four-year colleges. And most of those go for a semester, take part predominantly in American packaged programs, and have England as the major destination. There is very little participation and even less diversity.

What are America's major competitors doing? They are investing heavily in international education. A decade ago, Japan declared the goal of hosting 100,000 foreign students by the year 2000, and this goal is likely to be achieved. Most of Japan's foreign students come from its major Asian trading partners. Japan is also building dormitories and other facilities for its foreign students and scholars, and is investing both in teaching Japanese to foreigners and in developing some courses of study in English. Currently, 43,000 Japanese study in the United States, while only 1,800 Americans study in Japan. Japanese universities are rapidly internationalizing their curricula, and every Japanese high school and university student studies English.

Western Europe has long recognized the need for internationalizing higher education, not only to solidify European integration but to position Europe in the global economy. The European Commission stimulates cooperation in research and education through well-funded programs such as ERASMUS, promoting the mobility of students and scholars within Europe; LINGUA, which stimulates the study of European languages; and COMETT, aimed at fostering university-industry links. Recently, the exchange concept was expanded to secondary education as part of the new SOCRATES umbrella program, which covers a number of disciplines as well as several levels of education. Professional education is internationalized with the LEONARDO program.

Some outside Europe feared that a "Fortress Europe" mentality was developing, focused exclusively on the European Union, but this has not happened. The EU authorities, national governments, and individual academic institutions have stressed the importance of global cooperation and exchange. The TEMPUS, program, another EU-funded initiative, stresses exchanges with Eastern Europe, while the ALFA program deals with Latin America, and MEDCAMPUS deals with the Mediterranean region. In cooperation with the U. S. Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, there is a joint program to stimulate U.S-European exchange, but it is quite small in comparison to the other EU initiatives because of limited funds and the constant pressure of budget cuts.

For a half century after World War II, American higher education has been the undisputed leader in higher education internationally. Cold war competition, a booming U.S. economy, and a rapidly expanding student population were contributing factors. American higher education remains very strong, but it is losing its competitive edge in the international marketplace. The slide has begun, and growing insularity will mean that the United States will fall behind its competitors. Internationalism in higher education permits us to understand the rest of the world, as well as to function in the new international economy of the 21st century. Others understand this - Americans must too.