Overseas Branches Are Vital to American Academe and the U.S. Economy, University Officials Tell House Panel

By GOLDIE BLUMENSTYK

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For the many American universities now looking to establish or expand branches and research projects overseas, the decision to go abroad seems an obvious response to a globalizing world.

But at a Congressional hearing here on Thursday, officials from three universities with sizable international operations found themselves a bit on the defensive. Lawmakers -- including one outright skeptic -- questioned whether university ventures, all of which are indirectly or directly subsidized by taxpayers, might be undermining America's economic competitiveness by helping other countries better develop a scientific and technological work force.

The university officials responded with a unanimous message. On the whole, they insisted, their overseas operations bring the United States far more in benefits than what they might cost in the loss of some economic edge.

International education and research are "among our country's most effective diplomatic assets," said David J. Skorton, president of Cornell University, which operates a medical school in Qatar, as well as other operations elsewhere.

The comments came during a hearing by the House Committee on Science and Technology, which has been looking at issues of economic competitiveness and ways to increase the number of American students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, sometimes referred to as the STEM fields.

Rep. Brian Baird, a Democrat from Washington State, said the committee's prime objective was to learn more about the phenomenon and its implications. For instance, he noted that many international students who come to the United States develop an affection for the country, even if they return home when they complete their studies. He questioned whether America would "lose the emotional tie" if those students attended colleges at branches in their home countries.

Philip G. Altbach, a professor of higher education at Boston College, said he was "highly optimistic" that the branches would not erode international students' interest in coming to American campuses. If anything, he said, the branch campuses could encourage it. "They'll know better what they're getting into," he said.

Gary Schuster, provost and vice president for academic affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology, said many of his institution's overseas programs include a requirement that students attend at least one semester at Georgia Tech's home campus, in Atlanta.

Dr. Skorton, who in January led a team of Cornell officials on a visit to India to explore possible ventures there (The Chronicle, March 2), said the overseas programs expanded opportunities for talented students in other countries and helped train scientists, engineers, and mathematicians who might eventually work for American companies with operations overseas, or fill vacancies at American universities. "Right now I need the brightest international students" to fill positions, he said.

Mr. Schuster said the ventures also allowed American researchers to take advantage of "unique resources and challenges" found in other countries. Georgia Tech, for example, is known for its expertise in systems engineering and logistics. But Mr. Schuster said it gained additional mastery from its program in Singapore, where officials involved in running the world's busiest port are more skilled in aspects of logistics such as transportation.

Overseas ventures are also vital to American universities' survival, said Mark G. Wessel, dean of the H. John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University. This is so, he said, because of "the competitive forces in our industry that force us to be entrepreneurial." In 1997, Carnegie Mellon had one overseas academic program. Today it has 12, he told the committee, "and the list is growing."

Mr. Wessel said the programs not only helped American institutions expand their opportunities for research, but also enabled universities to attract resources from companies and governments overseas. The benefits to our economy "far exceed the costs," he said.

Mr. Altbach, who specializes in international higher education, also told the committee about problems that universities might encounter if they were not careful when pursuing their overseas ventures, such as losing money or expanding without enough regard for quality -- "what some people have called the McDonaldization" of higher education.

For the most part, committee members were receptive to those arguments. But some, like Rep. David Wu, Democrat of Oregon, said outside the hearing that he wanted to be sure that institutions that establish branches overseas don't price themselves too cheaply and, in effect, "start giving away the store." If the branches are "improperly done, they will drain our industrial base," he said.

A more discordant note came from Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Republican of California, who said that American universities should not become a "public service for foreigners," but rather should devote their resources to "providing skills for Americans." Nor, he said, should American institutions put themselves in a position in which they are training students in China in science and technology -- students who might later take that information and use it against the United States in a military conflict.

In response, Dr. Skorton said that he believed American institutions were cautious about how they handled sensitive scientific information. He said organizations like the National Security Higher Education Advisory Board, established by the FBI in 2005, also helped universities make appropriate policies in this area.

As for training economic competitors, he said that the demands of the U.S. economy and American academe cannot be met with the supply of graduates America is now producing. "Unfortunately, we're not doing as good a job in STEM as we should be," he said.

Later, Dr. Skorton said he was "delighted" by Mr. Rohrabacher's question because "that question is probably on people's minds."

• Cornell Courts a Subcontinent (3/2/2007)

• In Qatar's 'Education City,' U.S. Colleges Build Atop a Gusher (4/22/2005)

• Cornell's Medical School Will Open Degree-Granting Branch in Qatar (4/20/2001)