UTD prof advises students: Get outta here!

Dallas Morning News | Cheryl Hall:

“'The world is a lot smaller than we want to believe,' says Dr. [Da Hsuan] Feng. 'What is the best way to protect this nation? We must become as knowledgeable about the rest of the world as it is of us.' That means that more of our young and brightest should go abroad for part of their education, he contends.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

Higher education is one of America's least understood exports. Every degree a foreign student is granted from an American university is a service America is exporting to the world. For a century, the world has been sending its best and brightest to America's colleges for advanced degrees. In a real sense, countries around the world are off-shoring this service to the United States, just as the U.S. off-shores manufacturing of everything from shoes and textiles to televisions and computer chips.

But it's now time to consider voluntarily shifting the balance of this trade surplus, at least a little. The University of Texas at Dallas is a great school and smart choice for someone from, say, Bangalore, but if you grew up in Dallas, you should look farther afield. Get out of the Metroplex, certainly. Get out of Texas if you can. And get out of the country if the opportunity presents itself. The benefits of a college education amount to more than just the knowledge in the textbooks. They include the enlightment that comes from being exposed to new ideas, new cultures, new environments. The experience will train you for a lifetime of global competition that you will face. And it will make America itself more competitive.