International Education in a Troubled World

The external and internal environment of the U.S. has changed significantly since World War Two. Our military preeminence has vanished, in economic affairs the American model is not valid for other countries, and the U.S. is no longer the scientific leader of the world. Our foreign policy has become much more closely intertwined with domestic issues among which cultural pluralism is important. In an inter dependent world we cannot solve problems independently but must work in concert with other nations. Expertise on the rest of the world is hence needed as never before in government, business, and especially in the universities. But the system for maintaining and strengthening this expertise is jeopardized by the erosion of financial support. Increasingly needed are specialists who combine foreign language and international studies expertise with training in professional fields, and specialists not only on other countries and geographic regions but also on major international issues such as energy and economic development. Paralleling the need for specialists is the need for greater international education for our citizens. This calls for much greater efforts in kindergarten through twelfth grade, in undergraduate studies, in foreign language teaching at all levels, and in adult and community education. The President's Commission directed recommendations on these matters to the federal and state governments, to schools, colleges and universities, and to the public at large. It is hoped that a privately funded national council, the establish ment of which was recommended by the Commission, will assist in seeing that the national needs in foreign language and international studies are met.