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. HIN-
CHEY, Mr. LEACH, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. REGULA, and Mr. UPTON) sub-
mitted 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 deter-
mined 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 fur-
ther national security, foreign policy, and economic com-
petitiveness, and promote mutual understanding and co-
operation 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;
•HCON 201 IH
Whereas international education entails the imparting of ef-
fective 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 Edu-
cation, 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 de-
clined;
Whereas educating international students is an important
way to impart cross-cultural understanding, to spread
United States values and influence, and to create good-
will 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 de-
pendents 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 Edu-
cation, the proportion of international students choosing
to study in the United States has declined from 40 to 30
percent since 1982;
•HCON 201 IH
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 edu-
cating 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 re-
sources both for deepening the international knowledge of
United States citizens and for nurturing United States
ideals in other countries: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—
(1) the United States should establish an inter-
national education policy to enhance national secu-
rity, significantly further United States foreign pol-
icy and economic competitiveness, and promote mu-
tual understanding and cooperation among nations;
and
(2) an international education policy for the
United States should strive to achieve the following:
(A) Enhance the educational infrastructure
through which the United States produces citi-
zens with a high level of international expertise,
and build a broad knowledge base that serves
the United States.
(B) Promote greater diversity of locations,
languages, and subjects involved in teaching, re-