Opportunities for Young International

Scholars in the United States

Daniel Denecke, Ph.D.Council of Graduate SchoolsWashington, DC, USAddenecke@cgs.nche.edu

Council of Graduate Schools

Membership• 500 members from US and Canada (and 14

international affiliates); 94% of doctoral degrees and approx. 80% of master’s degrees awarded in the US represented

Mission “to improve and advance graduate education” through:

• Advocacy• Research• Best Practices, e.g. Preparing Future Faculty

(PFF)• + International Dimension

Characteristics of a “Global University”

International Research Collaborations

International Programs International Students International Experience for

Domestic Students International Postdocs & Faculty

I. Shifting Terrain:The Context for

Opportunity

International scholars comprise an important part

of the U.S. research enterprise

48% of students in engineering graduate programs

40% of students in physical sciences 1/3 of U.S. Nobel prizes won by

foreign-born scientists

Source: CGS, Graduate Enrollment and Degrees, 1996-2006, 2007

Positive Trends for International Researchers• Increased Student Mobility at undergraduate and

graduate levels CGS International Surveys (www.cgsnet.org) Open Doors Report (http://opendoors.iienetwork.org), “first

significant increase since 2001” 3% overall, 10% new.

• Joint and Dual Degree programs on the rise, creating opportunities for student and faculty exchanges. CGS International Survey, 2007 (www.cgsnet.org)

• Bologna Process improving US admissions infrastructure for evaluating international credentials

• Global Citizenship a growing concern

Some Countervailing Trends

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a much faster-than-average 27% increase in postsecondary teaching jobs through 2014. (http://stats.bls.gov/oco/ocos066.htm) (++)

Much of the increase will be in Part-Time. (--)

In 1990s, national share of Part Time (PT) faculty grew to 50+% (--)

The “Postdoc” is emerging as a growing trend in these fields (++)

As PT faculty increases, undergraduate completion rates fall (--)

Emphasis on completion rates and “accountability” is rising at both undergraduate and graduate levels. (++)

•(Ehrenberg [http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/wp/cheri_wp46.pdf], NYT [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/education/20adjunct.html?ex=1196398800&en=618fc4e8c3304e02&ei=5070&emc=eta1])

More Countervailing Trends

Concerns about reduced interest in PhD pathway among domestic students (--)

International students filling the gap in increased percentages. (++)

Alongside Global University trends are public undercurrents of protectionism and provincialism (--)

Capacity Building (++)•(Ehrenberg [http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/cheri/wp/cheri_wp46.pdf], NYT [http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/20/education/20adjunct.html?ex=1196398800&en=618fc4e8c3304e02&ei=5070&emc=eta1])

Doctoral S&E Degrees by World Region

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

USA UK & Germany Asia % US Citizens

USA

Germany & UK

Asia*

U.S. Citizens

Source: National Science Board, Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, Appendix Tables 2-31 & 2-42. Updated January 2008.Analysis by the Council of Graduate Schools.

*Asia includes China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan**Includes Permanent Residents.

%U

.S.

Cit

izen

s**

S&

E P

h.D

.s C

on

ferr

ed

International Students and the US Graduate Enterprise CGS International Student Admissions Surveys

(since 2004), 3 phases of the survey each year:• I – Applications, II – Admissions, III – Enrollment• Plus Issues Questionnaire (e.g. three-year bachelor’s

policies, international outreach activities, joint and dual degrees)

Highlights (most recent CGS applications, 2008):• Total grew 3% in 2008 (smallest growth since 2005)• Total grew 4% at Top 10 and Top 50; 1% outside• 65% of continuous respondents experienced

decreases, averaging 31% lower than 2003Source: CGS, International Survey, 2008

II. Academic Opportunities:Faculty

Growth in Full-Time Faculty Positions for International Scholars, 1992-2003, all

fields

0102030405060708090

Citizens, US-born Citizens, foreignborn

Noncitizen

19922003

source: Science and Engineering Indicators 2008, Appendix Table 5-21

82.676

9.213.3

8.3 10.7

Faculty Rank Postdoctorate - - - Adjunct Professor

or “Lecturer” Lecturer/Instructor - Non-tenure

Track Research and Teaching Positions

Assistant Professor, Tenure Track (or not)

Associate Professor, Tenure Full Professor, Tenure

US Faculty Salary Ranges by Rank

Doctoral Institutions

Master’s Focused

Bachelor’s

Instructor/Lecturer

$42-69,000

$40-59,000

$37-56,000

Assistant Professor

$60-87,000

$50-69,000

$44-67,000

Associate Professor

$69-103,000

$59-85,000

$51-83,000

(Full) Professor

$93-159,000

$72-111,000

$59-113,000

source: American Association of University Professors April 2008

Tenure & Promotion Publication

• Quality: peer review, selective peer review• Quantity: # of Articles (3-6); # Books (1-2)• Citations

Letters of support (networking outsider the department)

Teaching portfolio & service requirements

Understanding stated requirements (and unstated expectations)

Understanding institutional decision-making and recent history

Balancing Research, Teaching, and Service

Starting Point

Finish Line

III. Academic Opportunities:

Postdoctoral

Postdoctoral Fellowships and Appointments

Federal agencies: National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF)• Citizenship requirements vary, NIH’s NRSA

(restricted)

University, private foundations, libraries, research organizations, etc.• Citizenship requirements tend to be more open;

Residency requirements vary• Innumerable online resources, e.g. in biosciences:

http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/Fund/biopostdoc.html• Employee/worker vs. trainee/student tension

Visa Class Characteristics

J-1 (“the Exchange Visitor Visa”)• Common for Post-docs • Purpose: exchange opportunities for a cultural/educational

purpose• Family/Finance: Spouse may apply for employment

authorization • Up to 3 years (with 6-month extension)

H1-B • Common for Faculty (some postdocs) • Purpose: temporary employment in “specialty occupations”

and/or with intent to apply for permanent residency• Family/Finance: Non-U.S. spouse ineligible to apply for

employment authorization• Up to 6 years

Resources: National Postdoc Association (http://www.nationalpostdoc.org); US Department of State website (http://travel.state.gov/visa)

Inside U.S. Higher Education

Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com) and Inside Higher Education (www.insidehighered.com)

National Postdoc Association (http://www.nationalpostdoc.org) National Academies of Sciences reports

(www.nationalacademies.org) American Association of University Professors

(www.aaup.org)

Higher Education Research & Reform Initiatives: • Ronald Ehrenberg & CHERI (Cornell Higher Education

Research Institute), Chris Golde & Tim Dore, Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, Re-envisioning the PhD, NORC (Survey of Earned Doctorates), NRC Doctoral Assessment; Maresi Nerad (CIRGE), Science and Engineering Indicators, Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation

Your Destination Institution: international services; postdoc office.

Council of Graduate Schools (www.cgsnet.org)

IV. Non-academic Opportunities

“The importance of foreign-born scientists and engineers

to S&E enterprise in US continues to grow”

25% of all college educated workers, and 40% of doctorate holders, in S&E occupations in 2003 were foreign-born

At least 41% of foreign-born university-educated in the US in 2003 had highest degree from foreign educational institution

About half of S&E doctorate holders in US postdoc positions may have earned doctorates outside US

Source: NSF, Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

Global diffusion of R&D employment is reshaping non-

academic career paths From 1994 to 2004, R&D

employment outside the US by US firms increased by 76%, compared with a 31% increase in R&D employment by the same firms in the United States, and an 18% increase in US R&D employment at the US subsidiaries of foreign firms

Source: NSF, Science and Engineering Indicators 2008

V. The Role of the University in Enhancing Opportunities for Young International Scholars

The Banff Principles Respect and learn from the differences in programs and

their modes of delivery directed towards our common goal

Promote the quality of graduate programs Develop global career competencies and awareness in

graduates Encourage innovation in programs and graduates Clarify and strengthen the role of the masters degree Promote high-quality inter-university collaborative

programs across national boundaries Review and understand the global flow of graduate

students and postdoctoral fellows (early stage researchers)

Engage stakeholders, e.g. employers, policy makers and universities, to improve and advance graduate education in a global context

Establish an inclusive global platform for discussion of best practices in graduate education

CGS, Global Perspectives on Graduate Education, 2008 forthcoming

In 2007, about 29% of U.S. Graduate Schools Had Established Collaborative Degree Programs With International

UniversitiesTable 1. Percentage of American Graduate Schools That Have Established Collaborative Graduate Degree Programs With One or More International Universities, by Size of International Graduate Student Enrollment*

Largest 10

Largest 25

Largest 50

All Others All Institutions

Dual/Double Degree

44% 33% 32% 5% 11%

Joint Degree Program

0% 5% 3% 8% 7%

All Other Types of Degree Programs

11% 10% 21% 9% 11%

Total With One or More Collaborative Programs

56% 48% 56% 22% 29%

Source: Council of Graduate Schools, 2007 International Graduate Admissions Survey II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admissions. August 2007. *Enrollment size based on the number of international graduate studentsEnrolled at U.S. graduate schools in the fall of 2004. Due to rounding, details may not equal totals.

Collaborative Degree Programs Have Been Established in a Variety of Fields, With

Business Being the Most CommonFields of Study in Which U.S. Graduate Schools Have Offered Collaborative Master's and Doctoral Degree Programs With

International Universities

44%

35%

17%

8%

13%

6%

12%10%

14%

0%

13%

2%

0%5%

10%15%20%25%30%35%40%45%50%

Business Engineering SocialSciences

LifeSciences

Humanities All Others

Master's Doctoral

Source: 2007 Council of Graduate Schools Graduate Admissions Survey II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission.

About One-Fifth of U.S. Graduate Schools Plan to Establish New Collaborative Degree Programs With

International UniversitiesTable 1. Percentage of American Graduate Schools That Have Plan to Establish New Collaborative Graduate Degree Programs With One or More International Universities Within the Next Two Years, by Size of International Graduate Student Enrollment*

Largest 10

Largest 25

Largest 50

All Others

All Institutions

Dual/Double Degree

11% 5% 3% 5% 4%

Joint Degree Program

0% 9% 9% 8% 8%

All Other Types of Degree Programs

22% 19% 27% 8% 12%

Total With One or More Collaborative Programs

33% 33% 39% 22% 24%

Source: Council of Graduate Schools, 2007 International Graduate Admissions Survey II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admissions. August 2007. *Enrollment size based on the number of international graduate studentsEnrolled at U.S. graduate schools in the fall of 2004. Due to rounding, details may not equal totals.

Best Practices in the Preparation of Scholars for

Faculty CareersPreparing Future Faculty (PFF)

(www.preparing-faculty.org) Correct the mismatch between doctoral degree

experience and faculty careers Address the roles and responsibilities in teaching,

research, and service Preparing students for success in a variety of

institutional contexts …including international contexts and components

Other reform initiatives addressing preparation for the professoriate include: Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, the Responsive Ph.D. (Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation), and Re-envisioning the Ph.D.

Best Practices in the Preparation of Scholars for

Non-academic Careers Professional Master’s Degrees

Professional Master of Arts (PMA)/Professional Science Masters (PSM)

Address perception of master’s as “en route” degree

Core research coursework of traditional master’s

Plus components such as internship in non-academic environment as alternative to thesis

Preparing Future Professionals Entrepreneurship

Best Practices in Global Context

Building on CGS/EUA co-sponsored Strategic Leaders Global Summits in Salzburg (2007) and Banff, Canada (2008), with support from Ministry of Alberta:

First two focused meetings will look at:• Research Ethics in a Global Context, 2008• Graduate Education and Workforce

Partnerships, 2009