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UniversitiesBranchOutA)Asneverbeforeintheirlonghistory,universitieshavebecomeinstrumentsofnationalcompetitionaswellasinstrumentsofpeace.Theyaretheplaceofthescientificdiscoveriesthatmoveeconomiesforward,andtheprimarymeansofeducatingthetalentrequiredtoobtainandmaintaincompetitiveadvantage.Butatthesametime,theopeningofnationalborderstotheflowofgoods,services,informationandespeciallypeoplehasmadeuniversitiesapowerfulforceforglobalintegration,mutualunderstandingandgeopoliticalstability.B)Inresponsetothesameforcesthathavedriventheworldeconomy,universitieshavebecomemoreself-consciouslyglobal:seekingstudentsfromaroundtheworldwhorepresenttheentirerangeofculturesandvalues,sendingtheirownstudentsabroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers,offeringcoursesofstudythataddressthechallengesofaninterconnectedworldandcollaborative(合作的)researchprogramstoadvancescienceforthebenefitofallhumanity.C)Oftheforcesshapinghighereducationnoneismoresweepingthanthemovementacrossborders.Overthepastthreedecadesthenumberofstudentsleavinghomeeachyeartostudyabroadhasgrownatanannualrateof3.9percent,from800,000in1975to2.5millionin2004.Mosttravelfromonedevelopednationtoanother,buttheflowfromdevelopingtodevelopedcountriesisgrowingrapidly.Thereverseflow,fromdevelopedtodevelopingcountries,isontherise,too.Todayforeignstudentsearn30percentofthedoctoraldegreesawardedintheUnitedStatesand38percentofthoseintheUnitedKingdom.Andthenumbercrossingbordersforundergraduatestudyisgrowingaswell,to8percentoftheundergraduatesatAmerica’sbestinstitutionsand10percentofallundergraduatesintheU.K.IntheUnitedStates,20percentofthenewlyhiredprofessorsinscienceandengineeringareforeign-born,andinChinamanynewlyhiredfacultymembersatthetopresearchuniversitiesreceivedtheirgraduateeducationabroad.D)Universitiesarealsoencouragingstudentstospendsomeoftheirundergraduateyearsinanothercountry.InEurope,morethan140,000studentsparticipateintheErasmusprogrameachyear,takingcoursesforcreditinoneof2,200participatinginstitutionsacrossthecontinent.AndintheUnitedStates,institutionsarehelpingplacestudentsinsummerinternships(实习)abroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers.YaleandHarvardhaveledtheway,offeringeveryundergraduateatleastoneinternationalstudyorinternshipopportunity—andprovidingthefinancialresourcestomakeitpossible.E)Globalizationisalsoreshapingthewayresearchisdone.Onenewtrendinvolvessourcingportionsofaresearchprogramtoanothercountry.YaleprofessorandHowardHughesMedicalInstituteinvestigatorTianXudirectsaresearchcenterfocusedonthegeneticsofhumandiseaseatShanghai’sFudanUniversity,incollaborationwithfacultycolleaguesfrombothschools.TheShanghaicenterhas95employeesandgraduatestudentsworkingina4,300-square-meterlaboratoryfacility.Yalefaculty,postdoctorsandgraduatestudentsvisitregularlyandattendvideoconferenceseminarswithscientistsfrombothcampuses.Thearrangementbenefitsbothcountries;Xu’sYalelabismoreproductive,thankstothelowercostsofconductingresearchinChina,andChinesegraduatestudents,postdoctorsandfacultygeton-the-jobtrainingfromaworld-classscientistandhisU.S.team.F)Asaresultofitsstrengthinscience,theUnitedStateshasconsistentlyledtheworldinthecommercializationofmajornewtechnologies,fromthemainframecomputerandtheintegratedcircuitofthe1960stotheInternetinfrastructure(基础设施)andapplicationssoftwareofthe1990s.Thelinkbetweenuniversity-basedscienceandindustrialapplicationisoftenindirectbutsometimeshighlyvisible:SiliconValleywasintentionallycreatedbyStanfordUniversity,andRoute128outsideBostonhaslonghousedcompaniesspunofffromMITandHarvard.Aroundtheworld,governmentshaveencouragedcopyingofthismodel,perhapsmostsuccessfullyinCambridge,England,whereMicrosoftandscoresofotherleadingsoftwareandbiotechnologycompanieshavesetupshoparoundtheuniversity.G)Forallitssuccess,theUnitedStatesremainsdeeplyhesitantaboutsustainingtheresearch-universitymodel.Mostpoliticiansrecognizethelinkbetweeninvestmentinscienceandnationaleconomicstrength,butsupportforresearchfundinghasbeenunsteady.ThebudgetoftheNationalInstitutesofHealthdoubledbetween1998and2003,buthasrisenmoreslowlythaninflationsincethen.Supportforthephysicalsciencesandengineeringbarelykeptpacewithinflationduringthatsameperiod.Theattempttomakeuplostgroundiswelcome,butthenationwouldbebetterservedbysteady,predictableincreasesinsciencefundingattherateoflong-termGDPgrowth,whichisontheorderofinflationplus3percentperyear.H)Americanpoliticianshavegreatdifficultyrecognizingthatadmittingmoreforeignstudentscangreatlypromotethenationalinterestbyincreasinginternationalandforeign-languagestudyiswellbelowthelevelsof40yearsago.InthewakeofSeptember11,changesinthevisaprocesscausedadramaticdeclineinthenumberofforeignstudentsseekingadmissiontoU.S.universities,andacorrespondingsurgeinenrollmentsinAustralia,SingaporeandtheU.K.ObjectionsfromAmericanuniversityandbusinessleadersledtoimprovementsintheprocessandareversalofthedecline,buttheUnitedStatesisstillseenbymanyasunwelcomingtointernationalstudents.I)MostAmericansrecognizethatuniversitiescontributetothenation’swell-beingthroughtheirscientificresearch,butmanyfe