Asneverbeforeintheirlonghistory,universitieshavebecomeinstrumentsofnationalcompetitionaswellasinstrumentsofpeace.Theyaretheplaceofthescientificdiscoveriesthatmoveeconomiesforward,andtheprimarymeansofeducatingthetalentrequiredtoobtainandmaintaincompetitiveadvantage.Butatthesametime,theopeningofnationalborderstotheflowofgoods,services,informationandespeciallypeoplehasmadeuniversitiesapowerfulforceforglobalintegration,mutualunderstandingandgeopoliticalstability.
Inresponsetothesameforcesthathavedriventheworldeconomy,universitieshavebecomemoreself-consciouslyglobal:seekingstudentsformaroundtheworldwhorepresenttheentirerangeofculturesandvalues,sendingtheirownstudentsabroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers,offeringcoursesofstudythataddressthechallengesofaninterconnectedworldandcollaborative(合作的)researchprogramstoadvancescienceforthebenefitofallhumanity.
Oftheforcesshapinghighereducationnoneismoresweepingthanthemovementacrossborders.Overthepastthreedecadesthenumberofstudentsleavinghomeeachyeartostudyabroadhasgrownatanannualrateof3.9percent,from800,000in1975to2.5millionin2004.Mosttravelfromonedevelopednationtoanother,buttheflowfromdevelopingtodevelopedcountriesisgrowingrapidly.Thereverseflow,fromdevelopedtodevelopingcountries,isontherise,too.Todayforeignstudentsearn30percentofthedoctoraldegreesawardedintheUnitedStatesand38percentofthoseintheUnitedKingdom.Andthenumbercrossingbordersforundergraduatestudyisgrowingaswell,to8percentoftheundergraduatesatAmerica’sbestinstitutionsand10percentofallundergraduatesintheU.K.IntheUnitedStates,20percentofthenewlyhiredprofessorsinscienceandengineeringareforeign-born,andinChinamanynewlyhiredfacultymembersatthetopresearchuniversitiesreceivedtheirgraduateeducationabroad.
Universitiesarealsoencouragingstudentstospendsomeoftheirundergraduateyearsinanothercountry.InEurope,morethan140,000studentsparticipateintheErasmusprogrameachyear,takingcoursesforcreditinoneof2,200participatinginstitutionsacrossthecontinent.AndintheUnitedStates,institutionsarehelpingplacestudentsinsummerinternships大学英语四六级考试CET46)abroadtopreparethemforglobalcareers.YaleandHarvardhaveledtheway,offeringeveryundergraduateatleastoneinternationalstudyorinternshipopportunity-andprovidingthefinancialresourcestomakeitpossible.
Globalizationisalsoreshapingthewayresearchisdone.Onenewtrendinvolvessourcingportionsofaresearchprogramtoanothercountry.YaleprofessorandHowardHughesMedicalInstituteinvestigatorTianXudirectsaresearchcenterfocusedonthegeneticsofhumandiseaseatShanghai’sFudanUniversity,incollaborationwithfacultycolleaguesfrombothschools.TheShanghaicenterhas95employeesandgraduatestudentsworkingina4,300-square-meterlaboratoryfacility.Yalefaculty,postdoctorsandgraduatestudentsvisitregularlyandattendvideoconferenceseminarswithscientistsfrombothcampuses.Thearrangementbenefitsbothcountries;Xu’sYalelabismoreproductive,thankstothelowercostsofconductingresearchinchina,andChinesegraduatestudents,postdoctorsandfacultygeton-the-jobtrainingfromaworld-classscientistandhisU.S.team.
Asaresultofitsstrengthinscience,theUnitedStateshasconsistentlyledtheworldinthecommercializationofmajornewtechnologies,fromthemainframecomputerandtheintegratedcircuitofthe1960stotheInternetinfrastructure(基础设施)andapplicationssoftwareofthe1990s.Thelinkbetweenuniversity-basedscienceandindustrialapplicationisoftenindirectbutsometimeshighlyvisible:SiliconValleywasintentionallycreatedbyStanfordUniversity,andRoute128outsideBostonhaslonghousedcompaniesspunofffromMITandHarvard.Aroundtheworld,governmentshaveencouragedcopyingofthismodel,perhapsmostsuccessfullyinCambridge,England,whereMicrosoftandscoresofotherleadingsoftwareandbiotechnologycompanieshavesetupshoparoundtheuniversity.
Forallitssuccess,theUnitedStatesremainsdeeplyhesitantaboutsustainingtheresearch-universitymodel.Mostpoliticianrecognizethelinkbetweeninvestmentinscienceandnationaleconomicstrength,butsupportforresearchfundinghasbeenunsteady.ThebudgetoftheNationalInstitutesofHealthdoubledbetween1998and2003,buthasrisenmoreslowlythaninflationsincethen.Supportforthephysicalsciencesandengineeringbarelykeptpacewithinflationduringthatsameperiod.Theattempttomakeuplostgroundiswelcome,butthenationwouldbebetterservedbysteady,predictableincreasesinsciencefundingattherateoflong-termGDPgrowth,whichisontheorderofinflationplus3percentperyear.
