IV

107TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 201

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should establish

an international education policy to further national security, foreign

policy, and economic competitiveness, and promote mutual understanding

and cooperation among nations.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 26, 2001

Mr. KOLBE (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. DREIER, Mr. HINCHEY, Mr. LEACH, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. REGULA, and Mr. UPTON) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the

Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee

on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States

should establish an international education policy to further national security, foreign policy, and economic competitiveness, and promote mutual understanding and cooperation among nations.

Whereas promoting international education for United States

citizens and ensuring access to high-level international

experts are important to meet national security, foreign

policy, economic, and other global challenges facing the

United States;
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Whereas international education entails the imparting of effective global competence to United States students and

other citizens as an integral part of their education at all

levels;

Whereas research indicates that the United States is failing

to graduate enough students with expertise in foreign

languages, cultures, and policies to meet the demands of

business, government, and universities;

Whereas, according to the Institute for International Education, less than 10 percent of United States students

graduating from college have studied abroad;

Whereas, according to the American Council on Education,

foreign language enrollments in United States higher

education fell from 16 percent in 1960 to just 8 percent

today, and the number of 4-year colleges with foreign

language entrance and graduation requirements also declined;

Whereas educating international students is an important

way to impart cross-cultural understanding, to spread

United States values and influence, and to create goodwill for the United States throughout the world;

Whereas, based on studies by the College Board, the Institute

for International Education, and Indiana University,

more than 500,000 international students and their dependents contributed an estimated $12,300,000,000 to

the United States economy in the academic year 1999–

2000;

Whereas, according to the Departments of State and Education, the proportion of international students choosing

to study in the United States has declined from 40 to 30

percent since 1982;
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Whereas international exchange programs, which in the past

have done much to extend United States influence in the

world by educating the world’s leaders, as well as educating United States citizens about other nations and

their cultures, are suffering from decline; and

Whereas American educational institutions chartered in the

United States but operating abroad are important resources both for deepening the international knowledge of

United States citizens and for nurturing United States

ideals in other countries: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the United States should establish an inter4 national education policy to enhance national secu5 rity, significantly further United States foreign pol6 icy and economic competitiveness, and promote mu7 tual understanding and cooperation among nations;

8 and

9 (2) an international education policy for the

10 United States should strive to achieve the following:

11 (A) Enhance the educational infrastructure

12 through which the United States produces citi13 zens with a high level of international expertise,

14 and build a broad knowledge base that serves

15 the United States.

16 (B) Promote greater diversity of locations,

17 languages, and subjects involved in teaching, re-
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1 search, and study abroad to ensure that the

2 United States maintains a broad international

3 knowledge base.

4 (C) Significantly increase participation in

5 study and internships abroad by United States

6 students.

7 (D) Invigorate citizen and professional

8 international exchange programs and promote

9 the international exchange of scholars.

10 (E) Support visas and employment policies

11 that promote increased numbers of inter12 national students.

13 (F) Ensure that a United States college

14 graduate has knowledge of a second language

15 and of a foreign area, as well as a broader un16 derstanding of the world.

17 (G) Encourage programs that begin for18 eign language learning in the United States at

19 an early age.

20 (H) Promote educational exchanges and

21 research collaboration with American edu22 cational institutions abroad that can strengthen

23 the foreign language skills and a better under24 standing of the world by United States citizens.
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1 (I) Promote partnerships among govern2 ment, business, and educational institutions and

3 organizations to provide adequate resources for

4 implementing this policy.

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