America’s Last, Great Defense

“That … brings concerns about American commitment to allies around the world.” At the beginning of March, just as Russia’s parliament approved military action in Crimea, Ian Bremmer, head of the consulting firm Eurasia Group, released a report focusing on America’s response, and highlighted the risk of continued American nonintervention. Mr. Bremmer’s predictions have proven accurate, as Russia went on to annex Crimea.

For the last few years, Mr. Bremmer, author of the book “Every Nation for Itself,” has been advancing a view that, “We have entered an era where America, having recognized its limits as a leader, cannot be counted on to provide ample support should a crisis arise in the international community.”* But though America’s political and economic “leadership fatigue” may be apparent, it yet retains a top position in one vital field: higher education.

This week, the U.S. State Department is inviting foreign press agents to Harvard University and MIT in Boston to join a tour of America’s most prestigious educational institutions. This tour is popular with people from Asia and Africa, so much so that, according to staff, news correspondents from those regions even try to bring their own kids along in hopes that they will enter an American university.

On March 14, the Institute of International Education, best known for its management of the Fulbright scholarship, hosted a number of educational experts from around the world at its New York office. There, the IIE introduced several institutions, such as the University of Michigan, which contribute to international education by hosting exchange students. The most recent figures have the number of foreign students studying in America at roughly 820,000. This makes the U.S. the biggest host of foreign learners in the world, far ahead of even the second and third biggest hosts: England, at 490,000 students, and China, at 330,000. America’s position as the higher education leader is stronger than ever.

The most popular fields center on the practical sciences, such as administration, engineering and IT — fields which are helpful for day-to-day life. A degree from an American institution is advantageous in a world where job hunting is now an international affair; thanks to this, the last decade has seen a yearly increase in foreign enrollment of about 4 percent, particularly students from China, India, Korea and Saudi Arabia. Contrasted with the 280,000 Americans studying outside the U.S., it seems the U.S. has a “trade deficit.” And as the majority do nondegree-seeking, short-term studies in Europe, the goal seems to be less about education and more about cultural exchange or sightseeing.

So what makes America so strong in higher education? According to Peggy Blumenthal, a top adviser for the IIE, it is “the power to create new trends in education, like advanced math and science, Internet applications and curricula which integrate different subjects.”*

And what keeps it all going? Economic muscle. Well-known investor Ken Griffin famously gave $150,000 to Harvard University recently. When the wealthy donate massive sums of money, these universities flourish financially thanks to proper management. Harvard has funds amounting to $32 billion, and Yale’s have reached $21 billion.

Seven of the world’s top 10 most popular schools are in the United States, according to a ranking of universities, and when students of these universities return home, they become the future elected officials and administrators, putting American know-how to practical use.

Higher education represents “soft power.” It is America’s last, great defense.

*Editor’s note: These quotations, accurately translated, could not be verified.