Plans Afoot to Extend Welcome Mat To More U.S.-Trained Science Grads

摘要

It's relatively easy to get politicians across the spectrum to agree that the U.S. economy benefits from having foreign-born scientists and engineers remain in the country after earning an advanced degree from a U.S. university. They earn 37% of all U.S. Ph.D. degrees in science and engineering, for example, and create a disproportionate share of start-up companies. But accomplishing that goal without igniting the passions that traditionally have made immigration reform too hot for politicians to handle? That's a much harder job. Last week, a key congressional panel heard proposals to retain the "best and brightest" foreign students without disad-vantaging U.S. workers. Those who want to reform the system say they are heartened by the broad interest in the topic.