Piotr: Here is a quotation from \"The World Is Flat” by Thomas Friedman. He wrot
ID: 1138290 • Letter: P
Question
Piotr: Here is a quotation from "The World Is Flat” by Thomas Friedman. He wrote: "Universities in Asian countries now produce eight times as many bachelor's degrees as the United States. Moreover...Science and engineering degrees now represent 60% of all bachelor's degrees earned in China, 33 percent in South Korea, 41 percent in Taiwan--and roughly 31 percent in the United States...'If action is not taken now to change these trends, we could reach 2020 and find that the ability of U.S. research and education institutions [have lost] their preeminence...to other areas of the world'" (p. 331). To the Class: What does this mean to you? What can you do? What should you do? Does it matter? Who does it affect?
Explanation / Answer
This means that educational institutions in the USA are losing the aura, exclusivity and the cutting edge over the educational institutions in the Asian countries. Now, students in Asian nations such as China, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan highly rate the educational institutions in their own countries. It will stop the brain drain taking place in these countries and Forex flows to the USA in via these students, will also be reduced drastically.
I can do the following:
1. Offer scholarships to the students so that they can be attracted to the USA.
2. Offer of work opportunity in the USA as it is still a dream for most of the students.
3. Increase the number of intake as it can have more students per batch.
To maintain the pre-eminence, the colleges and universities in the USA, should reach out to the students in the Asia and build a strong value proposition while attracting students with scholarships, liberal and relaxed polices and other benefits. Besides, working opportunity in the USA, will another advantage that can attract students from Asian nations. Further, extension centers of these popular colleges should be opened in these countries so that students get the opportunity of education in their own country of the quality that is offered in the USA. Apart from it, universities in the USA, should collaborate with the universities in the Asia for student exchange programs and other certifications. It will help to be more inclusive while maintaining the eminence.
These objectives matter, because it will help the US universities to be the part of human capital development taking place in the Asia and these institutions can play a lead role. It will make them to grow and help others to grow as well. Not doing so, will make these universities to get isolated on Y-O-Y basis and it will reduce their eminence.
It affects the whole education system and it brings standardization and international quality to the education, received by the students.