New Report Calls for Taking a Global Perspective
Responding to signs the U.S. is losing its monopoly in high technology, policymakers are calling for new measures to increase the number science and technology graduates and increase R&D investment. A new report, sponsored in part by the Kauffman Foundation, argues that policymakers are failing to recognize distinctive aspects of the emerging global economy. The researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C., studied engineering in multinational corporation home countries and in emerging economies. Their findings suggest that the U.S. cannot expect to match the numbers of engineers being trained in India and China, and it is not clear how much benefits to U.S. firms will help the U.S. economy. Instead, the report argues that the U.S. should seek "collaborative advantage" by developing a new role in the global technology system by training "global engineers," supporting research where there is true comparative advantage, and developing mutual-gain partnerships.
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