“Global Competitiveness and Technology Policy: How the U.S. Can Compete to Stay Ahead” Karin Hudson Mehlman Vogel Castagnetti, Inc. EDUCAUSE Policy Conference Washington, DC April 6, 2005

Starting Point: Three Key Premises Competitiveness is a REAL challenge that we must face now. Competitiveness is a REAL challenge that we must face now. Information technology plays a critical role in ensuring continued U.S. competitiveness and global leadership. Information technology plays a critical role in ensuring continued U.S. competitiveness and global leadership. Education is still the key to ensuring a skilled and competitive workforce, new ways of thinking about education are required, and industry and higher education must work together to achieve this goal. Education is still the key to ensuring a skilled and competitive workforce, new ways of thinking about education are required, and industry and higher education must work together to achieve this goal.

What’s The Big Deal: Is U.S. Competitiveness Really Being Threatened? Japan 25 Million Skilled Workers Million Skilled Workers China 250 Million Skilled Workers 2025 India

What’s The Big Deal: Is U.S. Competitiveness Really Being Threatened? THEN Total U.S. R&D Spending Billions of Dollars

NOW “Does the United States choose to compete? The rest of the world is competing. The U.S. must decide if it will follow that path. It can build on its strength or it can atrophy.” Craig Barrett, CEO, Intel

Other Signs of Trouble U.S. Graduate Institutions: Foreign Students Outnumber U.S. students Patent applications from China, India, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan grew 759% from The U.S. share of S&E papers published worldwide declined from 38% in 1988 to 31% in China, South Korea, and Taiwan increased gross R&D investments by about 140% from the U.S. increased its investments by 34% during the same period. The U.S. ranks 6 th in the number of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded behind China, Japan, and Russia, India and the EU-15. The U.S. has dropped from 1 st to 5 th in how we take advantage of IT.

Americans Are Concerned About the United States’s Global Leadership Position BUT….. Americans increasingly recognize that the United States is being pushed more and more by its foreign competitors. U.S. based companies are far ahead of their foreign competitors. U.S. based companies are still ahead, but their foreign competitors are catching up. U.S. based companies and their foreign competitors are on an even playing field. Foreign competitors have surpassed U.S. based companies. Source: CSPP National Survey, March 2005

….This Doesn’t Necessarily Result in Policy Action Given Other Nearer-Term Crises National Security Consumer Privacy Offshore Outsourcing Resource Crunch

Good News: The U.S. Can Remain an Innovative Leader – If it Chooses To Challenge U.S. Response “Sputnik Crisis” 1950’s “Rise of Japan Crisis” 1980’s The U.S. increased investments in our space exploration program and committed to improve math and science education. The U.S. increased investments in innovation to make the country a world IT leader. ? “Creeping Crisis” 2005

U.S. Competitiveness Spectrum Management Immigration/ Visas Internet Tax Digital Rights Management IT Policy: How it Fits in, How it Impacts our Place in the Global Market and Why it Matters Export/Knowledge Controls Broadband Deployment Trade Healthcare IT Retraining Assistance Education Reform

A Key Ingredient for Continued Success: Keep Producing the Best and the Brightest "We cannot afford to leave education and training behind in the technology revolution But, unless something changes, the gap between technology's potential and its use in education and training will only grow as technological change accelerates in the years ahead.“ Philip J. Bond, Under Secretary for Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce " In addition to growing new generations of innovators, we must also empower the workers of today. For many workers in the innovation space, the economic ground often feels like it's shifting beneath their feet, and many of them are uncertain about the future.“ G. Wayne Clough, President, University of Georgia

What’s Missing: 21 st Century Skills “How students learn” is different from “How students live” today. Need to Focus on and advocate a 21 st Century Skill set in education for a 21 st Century environment to create lifelong learners. Critical Thinking Problem Solving Communications Collaboration Self-Directed Learning Accountability & Adaptability Information & Media Literacy Social Responsibility Creative & Intellectual Curiosity

How Have Institutions of Higher-Ed, Industry and Government Partnered Together  The Business-Higher Education Forum  The Partnership for 21 st Century Skills  The Interagency Working Group on Advanced Technologies for Education & Training (Dept. of Commerce/Education)  National Science Foundation “Science of Learning Centers”  On-going Joint Education-Industry Partnerships

Where Does Higher-Ed Fit in to the Competitiveness Challenge? Become a “Creeping Crisis” Advocate - Aggressively continue to beat the “creeping crisis” drum and be a leader in convening a discussion with all stakeholders. Demand leadership from others to ensure we invest in innovation, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and education. Become a “Creeping Crisis” Advocate - Aggressively continue to beat the “creeping crisis” drum and be a leader in convening a discussion with all stakeholders. Demand leadership from others to ensure we invest in innovation, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and education. Engage – Maintain an on-going dialogue with industry about what their workforce needs are and continue to partner and collaborate on programs and solutions. Engage – Maintain an on-going dialogue with industry about what their workforce needs are and continue to partner and collaborate on programs and solutions. Rethink – Look at current curriculum design and begin the process of incorporating 21 st Century Skills. Make redesign a priority at the highest levels of campus leadership. Rethink – Look at current curriculum design and begin the process of incorporating 21 st Century Skills. Make redesign a priority at the highest levels of campus leadership. Get Involved – Seek opportunities to get involved with existing initiatives, whether at the local or federal level. Get Involved – Seek opportunities to get involved with existing initiatives, whether at the local or federal level. Inspire – Focus on ways to get more young girls and women involved in S&E/information technology education and careers. It’s not just for geeks anymore! Inspire – Focus on ways to get more young girls and women involved in S&E/information technology education and careers. It’s not just for geeks anymore!

Thank You