[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 47 (Thursday, April 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION--REMARKS OF DR. HENRY 
     KAUFMAN, CHAIRMAN OF THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 13, 2000

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, the Institute of International Education 
(IIE) held a meeting of its board today here in Washington and also 
honored a number of individuals for their contributions to 
international educational and academic exchanges. The IIE is an 
independent nonprofit organization which is a resource for educators 
and academic institutions around the world. It was established in the 
United States shortly after the end of World War I to encourage 
international education.
  The Institute is the administrator of the Fulbright Program, which is 
our nation's premier public diplomacy initiative, and it provides 
training and leadership development programs for public and private 
sector initiatives. The mission of the IIE is to increase the number of 
students, scholars, and professionals who have the opportunity to 
study, teach and conduct research outside of their own country and to 
strengthen and internationalize institutions of higher learning in the 
United States and abroad.
  Mr. Speaker, as the economy of the United States is increasingly 
integrated into the global economy, as our communications are 
increasingly instantaneous throughout the world, and as our national 
security, health, and well-being are increasingly affected by events 
thousands of miles from our shores, the importance of international 
education and understanding cannot be underestimated. In this 
increasingly interconnected world, the role and importance of the IIE 
likewise has become much more important.
  Mr. Speaker, at the luncheon awards ceremony today here on Capitol 
Hill, Dr. Henry Kaufman, the Chairman of the Board of the Institute of 
International Education made outstanding remarks about the importance 
of international education for our nation's economy and for our 
continued leadership in the world. Dr. Kaufman had a distinguished 
career spanning a quarter century at Salmon Brothers, where he was 
Vice-Chairman of Solomon, Inc. After leaving that firm, he established 
Henry Kaufman and Company in 1988. He is a widely published author on 
economic and financial issues. In 1989, he became Chairman of the Board 
of Trustees of the Institute of International Education.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that Dr. Kaufman's particularly important remarks 
be placed in the Record, and I urge my colleagues to give them the 
serious and thoughtful attention they deserve.

  Remarks of Dr. Henry Kaufman, Chairman, Institute of International 
                       Education, April 13, 2000

       Ladies and Gentlemen: The Board of Trustees of the 
     Institute of International Education welcome you to this very 
     special gathering here in the Rayburn House Office Building. 
     We are here today to recognize the lives of public service of 
     our two recipients of the Stephen P. Duggan Award for 
     International Understanding.
       Our two honorees have spent a portion of their professional 
     lives as educators. Both recognize that the work force for 
     the global economy that will be needed in the decades ahead 
     requires an understanding and appreciation of other 
     countries, other peoples and other cultures. And both 
     recognize that international educational exchange is the best 
     way to achieve that.
       Each year, with the support of the Department of State, the 
     Institute of International Education conducts research on the 
     international student mobility. The most recent Open Doors 
     data tells us that last year 114,000 American students 
     pursued some study abroad. That is less than one percent of 
     the students enrolled in our colleges and universities. Most 
     of them studied abroad for one semester or less, and most in 
     countries where English is the native language.
       IIE believes that we must do better if we are to retain our 
     position of leadership in this ever more interdependent 
     world. Many of our own educational institutions are equally 
     committed to assuring that their students have a study abroad 
     experience. We are discussing with Members of Congress and 
     their staffs ways that legislatively we may be able to 
     establish programs that would foster student mobility.
       The 490,000 foreign students studying here in the U.S. 
     represent a contribution to our economy of some $13 billion. 
     In addition, they internationalize our campuses by bringing 
     their own perspectives to issues encountered in the 
     classroom.
       The U.S. share of the market of students studying abroad 
     from throughout the world is shrinking. Many European 
     countries, as well as Australia and New Zealand, are actively 
     recruiting those students. In initiating a push to have 
     universities in the United Kingdom educate a 25 percent share 
     of that market, Prime Minister Tony Blair said as recently as 
     last June: ``People who are educated here have a lasting tie 
     to our country. They promote Britain around the world, 
     helping our trade and our diplomacy. It is easier for our 
     executives and our diplomats to do business with people 
     familiar with Britain.''
       By the same token, those who have studied here have 
     observed an open democratic system of government, have 
     experienced the freedoms we take for granted, have perfected 
     their English language skills and have learned of the 
     economic potential of our country as a trading partner. Their 
     perspectives are informed by their personal experience of 
     American values and the American way of life. They have an 
     understanding and appreciation of the United States that can 
     come only from living here.

     

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