按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
60 percent of all bachelor's degrees earned in China； 33 percent in South Korea； and
41 percent in Taiwan。 By contrast； the percentage of those taking a bachelor's degree
in science
258
and engineering in the United States remains at roughly 31 percent。 Factoring out
science degrees； the number of Americans who graduate with just engineering degrees
is 5 percent； as compared to 25 percent in Russia and 46 percent in China； according
to a 2004 report by Trilogy Publications； which represents the national U。S。
engineering professional association。
The United States has always depended on the inventiveness of its people in order
to compete in the world marketplace； said the NSB。 〃Preparation of the S&E workforce
is a vital arena for national competitiveness。 ＇But＇ even if action is taken today
to change these trends； the reversal is 10 to 20 years away。〃 The students entering
the science and engineering workforce with advanced degrees in 2004 decided to take
the necessary math courses to enable this career path when they were in middle school；
up to fourteen years ago； the NSB noted。 The students making that same decision in
middle school today won't complete advanced training for science and engineering
occupations until 2018 or 2020。 〃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 to regenerate has been damaged and that their preeminence has been lost
to other areas of the world；〃 the science board said。
These shortages could not be happening at a worse time…just when the world is going
flat。 〃The number of jobs requiring science and engineering skills in the U。S。 labor
force；〃 the NSB said； 〃is growing almost 5 percent per year。 In comparison； the rest
of the labor force is growing at just over 1 percent。 Before September 11； 2001； the
Bureau of Labor Statistics （BLS） projected that science and engineering occupations
would increase at three times the rate of all occupations。〃 Unfortunately； the NSB
reported； the average age of the science and engineering workforce is rising。
〃Many of those who entered the expanding S&E workforce in the 1960s and 1970s （the
baby boom generation） are expected to retire in the next twenty years； and their
children are not choosing science and engineering careers in the same numbers as their
parents；〃 the NSB report said。 〃The percentage of women； for example； choosing math
and computer science careers fell 4 percentage points between 1993 and 1999。〃
259
The 2002 NSB indicators showed that the number of science and engineering Ph。D。's
awarded in the United States dropped from 29；000 in 1998 to 27；000 in 1999。 The total
number of engineering undergraduates in America fell about 12 percent between the
mid…1980s and 1998。
Nevertheless； America's science and engineering labor force grew at a rate well above
that of America's production of science and engineering degrees； because a large
number of foreign…born S&E graduates migrated to the United States。 The proportion
of foreign…born students in S&E fields and workers in S&E occupations continued to
rise steadily in the 1990s。 The NSB said that persons born outside the United States
accounted for 14 percent of all S&E occupations in 1990。 Between 1990 and 2000； the
proportion of foreign…born people with bachelor's degrees in S&E occupations rose
from 11 to 17 percent； the proportion of foreign…born with master's degrees rose from
19 to 29 percent； and the proportion of foreign…born with Ph。D。's in the S&E labor
force rose from 24 to 38 percent。 By attracting scientists and engineers born and
trained in other countries we have maintained the growth of the S&Elabor force without
a commensurate increase in support for the long…term costs of training and attracting
native U。S citizens to these fields； the NSB said。
But now； the simultaneous flattening and wiring of the world have made it much easier
for foreigners to innovate without having to emigrate。 They can now do world…class
work for world…class companies at very decent wages without ever having to leave home。
As Allan E。 Goodman； president of the Institute of International Education； put it；
〃When the world was round； they could not go back home； because there was no lab to
go back to and no Internet to connect to。 But now all those things are there； so they
are going back。 Now they are saying； 'I feel more comfortable back home。 I can live
more comfortably back home than in New York City and I can do good work； so why not
go back？'〃 This trend started even before the visa hassles brought on by 9/11； said
Goodman。 〃The brain gain started to go to brain drain around the year 2000。〃
As the NSB study noted； 〃Since the 1980s other countries have increased investment
in S&E education and the S&E workforce at higher rates than the United States has。
Between 1993 and 1997； the OECD countries ＇Organization for Economic Co…operation
and Development；
a group of 40 nations with highly developed market economies＇ increased their number
of S&E research jobs 23 percent； more than twice the 11 percent increase in S&E
research jobs in the United States。〃
In addition； it said； visas for students and S&E workers have been issued more slowly
since the events of September 11； owing to both increased security restrictions and
a drop in applications。 The U。S。 State Department issued 20 percent fewer visas for
foreign students in 2001 than in 2000； and the rate fell farther in subsequent years。
While university presidents told me in 2004 that the situation was getting better；
and that the Department of Homeland Security was trying to both speed up and simplify
its visa procedures for foreign students and scientists； a lot of damage has been
done； and the situation for foreign students or scientists wanting to work in any
areas deemed to have national security implications is becoming a real problem。 No
wonder New York Times education writer Sam Dillon reported on December 21； 2004； that
〃foreign applications to American graduate schools declined 28 percent this year。
Actual foreign graduate student enrollments dropped 6 percent。 Enrollments of all
foreign students； in undergraduate； graduate and postdoctoral programs； fell for the
first time in three decades in an annual census released this fall。 Meanwhile；
university enrollments have been surging in England； Germany and other countries。 。 。
Chinese applications to American graduate schools fell 45 percent this year； while
several European countries announced surges in Chinese enrollment。〃
Dirty Little Secret #2： The Ambition Gap
The second dirty little secret； which several prominent American CEOs told me only
in a whisper； goes like this： When they send jobs abroad； they not only save 75 percent
on wages； they get a 100 percent increase in productivity。 Part of that is
understandable。 When you take a low…wage； low…prestige job in America； like a call
center operator； and bring it over to India； where it becomes a high…wage；
high…prestige job；
261
you end up with workers who are paid less but motivated more。 〃The dirty little secret
is that not only is ＇outsourcing＇ cheaper and efficient；〃 the American CEO of a
London…headquartered multinational told me； 〃but the quality and productivity ＇boost＇
is huge。〃 In addition to the wage compression； he said； one Bangalore Indian retrained
will do the work of two or three Europeans； and the Bangalore employees don't take
six weeks of holidays。 〃When you think it's only about wages；〃 he added； 〃you can
still hold your dignity； but the fact that they work better is awful。〃
A short time after returning from India； I was approached in an airport by a young
man who wanted to talk about some columns I had written from there。 We had a nice
chat； I asked him for his card； and we struck up an e…mail friendship。 His name is
Mike Arguello； and he is an IT systems architect living in San Antonio。 He does
high…end IT systems design and does not feel threatened by foreign competition。 He
also teaches computer science。 When I asked him what we needed to do in America to
get our edge back； he sent me this e…mail：
I taught at a local university。 It was disheartening to see the poor work ethic of
many of my students。 Of the students I taught over six semesters； I'd only consider
hiring two of them。 The rest lacked the creativity； problem…solving abilities and
passion for learning。 As you well know； India's biggest advantage over the Chinese
and Russians is that they speak English。 But it would be wrong to assume the top Indian
developers are better than their American counterparts。 The advantage they have is
the number of bodies they can throw at a problem。 The Indians that I work with are
the cream of the crop。 They are educated by the equivalents of MIT back in India and
there are plenty of them。 If you were to follow me in my daily meetings it would become
very obvious that a great deal of my time is spent working with Indians。 Most managers
are probably still under the impression that all Indians are doing is lower…end