Overseas Branches Are Vital to American Academe and the U.S. Economy, University Officials Tell House Panel

Washington
For the many American universities now looking to establish or expand branches and research projects overseas, the decision to go abroad seems an obvious response to a globalizing world.
But at a Congressional hearing here on Thursday, officials from three universities with sizable international operations found themselves a bit on the defensive. Lawmakers -- including one outright skeptic -- questioned whether university ventures, all of which are indirectly or directly subsidized by taxpayers, might be undermining America's economic competitiveness by helping other countries better develop a scientific and technological work force. [View Full Article - Subscription, The Chronicle]