Study, Research, Innovate, Invent

The State of the Union speech focused on two key issues: education and innovation.

We should not forget about the United States in the midst of the Arab protests. Today, we shall return to Barack Obama’s State of the Union address: Behind education and study lie the only possible way out of Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and the other countries. We speak, of course, of a way out in order to move forward.

On Jan. 25, Obama hammered that nail on the spot. One can believe that Obama is a good leader, or that he is simply an improviser of good speeches, as argued by the tea party. The fact is, if you slowly read his speech before Congress, there is one verb that stands out in its various meanings: study, innovate, invent — Obama’s central argument.

In the times of George F. Kennan, 60 years ago, the problem was Russia; today it is China, a society that transforms very quickly and wisely, with its 1.34 billion inhabitants, including more than 100 million highly educated citizens. Kennan defended against true American superiority: patents. But China, like Russia before, drags a burden: obstacles to freedom through research or directly to freedom?

What is at stake, as Obama affirmed on Jan. 25, is not who will win the upcoming U.S. elections. What is at stake here is whether the United States will maintain its leadership. And that will not be achieved without new industries and jobs. Today, China and India educate their students, placing an emphasis on math and science. China has launched the largest solar research facility in the world.

But today the United States remains as the country with the largest number of patents. Among the top 500 universities worldwide, nearly 200 are American, with the highest number of foreign students. The first issue that Obama raises, like almost every president since 1933, is the promotion of innovation. “Innovate, educate and build more than the rest of the world.” The free enterprise system, Obama reminds us, is one that drives innovation. The government will invest in basic research, but it won’t necessarily be productive. But research on rare minerals in central Africa, from Congo to Cape Town, can also bring in a lot of money in the long run. Today we must remember how the Pentagon planted the seeds of the Internet.

Barack Obama has told the world that the United States will give priority to biomedical research, information technology and clean energy technology. This challenges the oil and coal companies: Neither Obama nor the oil companies will leave victorious in this match. But a round of applause filled the House when the president referred to the confrontation between big oil companies and the White House. Note here that both the Democratic and Republican parties applauded.

There is no room here to talk about Afghanistan, New START’s nuclear arms reduction or the health reform battle. But the key points remain clear: innovate and educate. Reread the part of the speech dedicated to education: 100,000 new teachers in the fields of engineering, technology, science and math. This is the debate in the United States and in Egypt.