[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 1352]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    EDUCATION FOR GLOBAL LEADERSHIP

  Mr. LUGAR. Mr. President, in this era defined by rapid globalization 
and the fight against terrorism, an increased focus on international 
studies and foreign language instruction in our schools is critical to 
maintaining our country's global leadership position. In order to 
foster the continued expansion of economic development and democratic 
institutions across the globe, we need citizens and workers who are 
knowledgeable of other cultures and languages.
  This need has become painfully evident in recent years as our Armed 
Forces, intelligence agencies, and diplomatic services have struggled 
to find personnel fluent in languages such as Arabic and Farsi and 
knowledgeable of the traditions and customs of the Middle East. At the 
same time, growing economic opportunities in Asia have put a premium on 
knowledge of languages such as Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, and Korean.
  Fortunately, we are seeing welcomed movement in confronting this 
challenge. Recently, President Bush launched the National Security 
Language Initiative to increase the number of Americans learning 
critical foreign languages. And today, the Committee for Economic 
Development, CED, a nonpartisan organization of business leaders and 
university presidents, has released a new policy statement, Education 
for Global Leadership: The Importance of International Studies and 
Foreign Language Education for U.S. Economic and National Security. 
This report provides recommendations for the public and private sectors 
for strengthening and expanding international studies and foreign 
language instruction across all levels of learning.
  I welcome these developments and encourage my colleagues to review 
the CED's recommendations and join in this critical effort to enhance 
our economic and national security.

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