March 2008 — News
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Gates to Congress: Improve Math, Science Education
He cited three reforms that could make a difference in alleviating the situation:
- Extended Optional Practical Training periods that would allow students to remain in the country longer after graduation, from 12 months to 29 months;
- Streamlining the path to permanent resident status for highly skilled workers;
- An increase on the cap on visas and the elimination of "per-country limits" to meet the near-term need for qualified workers by American industry.
"I want to emphasize that the shortage of scientists and engineers is so acute that we must do both: reform our education system and reform our immigration policies," Gates told the House committee. "This is not an either-or proposition. If we do not do both, U.S. companies simply will not have the talent they need to innovate and compete."
Federal Funding for Research
Gates also called on the committee to increase federal research funding and to provide incentives for private-sector research and development. Funding for basic scientific research has stagnated or declined in the United States--dropping by half as a percentage of GDP since 1970 for physical sciences and engineering research.
"As a nation," Gates told the committee, "our goal should be to increase funding for basic scientific research by 10 percent annually over the next seven years. We also need to ensure that the private sector has greater visibility into the status and progress of federally funded research projects so that companies can collaborate more effectively with universities and other publicly funded researchers."
He said Congress should also reenact and make permanent the R&D tax credit, which expired last year, to provide incentives for long-term, true private-sector research.
He concluded, "I believe this country stands at a crossroads. For decades, innovation has been the engine of prosperity in this country. Now, economic progress depends more than ever on innovation. And the potential for technology innovation to improve lives has never been greater. If we do not implement policies like those I have outlined today, the center of progress will shift to other nations that are more committed to the pursuit of technical excellence. If we make the right choices, the United States can remain the global innovation leader that it is today."
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About the author: David Nagel is the executive editor for 1105 Media's online education technology publications, including THE Journal and Campus Technology. He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com.
Proposals for articles and tips for news stories, as well as questions and comments about this publication, should be submitted to David Nagel, executive editor, at dnagel@1105media.com.
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