In The News

Effect of Climate Change on Oceans Gaining Attention

Tom Paulson July 11, 2006
Richard Feely of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has long reported on how carbon emissions increase acidity of the world’s oceans. In June, a panel of scientists confirmed his findings about the destruction of ocean habitat in a federal report. The report recommends more fieldwork about the effect of carbon dioxide in acidifying the ocean. The oceans have long absorbed...

The Rush for Legal Status in France

Katrin Bennhold July 7, 2006
Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, reacting to protests against the deportation of families with school-aged children, instructed police chiefs to grant residency papers to families who fulfill certain requirements. That move toward leniency blurs his stance on immigration, especially after the French Parliament passed a tough new law proposed by Sarkozy that makes citizenship more challenging...

Rioting in China Over Label on College Diplomas

Joseph Kahn June 26, 2006
This year, China will produce less than half as many jobs as it will college graduates. No wonder, then, students and families are willing to pay steeper tuition at colleges associated with prestigious national universities. Promised that their diplomas would bear the name of Zhengzhou University, the top school in the province, graduates from Shengda College exploded into riots after receiving...

Students in a World of Trouble

J. Michael Adams June 20, 2006
Though many American public school students are surrounded by diverse cultures and languages, two recent publications show that most “are likely to be unprepared to compete and lead in a global work environment,” according to the Committee for Economic Development’s report on the value of international studies. J. Michael Adams and Angelo Carfagna argue that maintaining a US hold in the global...

Diaspora – Selective Immigration Policies and the Brain Drain

Bathseba H. Belai June 19, 2006
In an age of rapid information and globalization, developing countries need an educated workforce more than ever. However, the wealthiest nations entice the most talented workers with high wages – creating a void of intellectual capital in the most impoverished countries. As the populations of wealthy nations age, many governments have increased incentives for specialists to immigrate, although...

Outsourcing of Indian Education

Pratap Bhanu Mehta June 15, 2006
Despite high marks that India gets in the world media for an educated labor force, its sclerotic institutions of higher education are facing many challenges from globalization. While many extraordinarily successful doctors, businesspeople and scientists are from India, only three Indian institutions rank among the world’s top 500 universities. Since the market for talent has gone global, many of...

Africa Held Back From Manufacturing Success

Larry Elliott June 5, 2006
While some African nations can count themselves as rich in natural resources, a great proportion of raw materials produced in these mainly poor countries are exported to other continents for manufacture into finished goods. While Africa has potential for industrial development, the obstacles to growth are daunting. To begin with, the lack of infrastructure and training are widespread problems...