National Research Council Warns U.S. Losing Leadership Role:
The National Research Council warned that the U.S. may lose its 50 year leadership in basic particle research by 2010. Particle physics relies on research facilities, the accelerator and the collider.
The European Center for Nuclear Research opened the world's biggest and most complex machine, the Large Hadron linear collider in Cern, Switzerland in September 2008. It will be the center of attention for particle physicists over the next 15 years because of its unique ability to address questions about the structure of matter and the evolution of the universe.
The U.S., on the other hand, will shut down the world's largest particle accelerator in 2010. To retain its leadership position, the U.S. needs to increase its particle physics research budget by at least 2-3% per year.
U.S. Slips in Training Engineers:
Furthermore, since the 1980’s, Chinese college enrollment has quadrupled to 20 million. They graduate 200,000 engineers per year, compared to 60,000 in the U.S. (Source: Computer Systems Policy Project).
U.S. Companies are Outsourcing Skilled Jobs to China and India:
The OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) reported that China's 2004 exports of technology goods - laptops, cell phones and digital cameras - was $180 billion, outpacing that of the U.S., at $149 billion. The growth has been driven by foreign direct investment from companies like Intel, Nokia, Motorola, Microsoft and Cisco Systems. Whereas these companies used to invest in China to gain access to their consumer market, they are doing so to take advantage of China's technologically trained labor force.
However, U.S. Regains #1 in WEF Global Competitiveness Report:
Surprisingly, the World Economic Forum (WEF) reported that the U.S. abruptly moved from #6 last year to the #1 position in its Global Competitiveness Report. According to the WEF, a highly competitive country is one that has high productivity, and therefore high prosperity, return on investment and economic growth.
Last year, the U.S. slipped to sixth because its budget is focused on defense and homeland security rather than education of its workforce and science research. However, this year the U.S. moved to #1 because of its innovative companies, excellent university system and strong collaboration between the two in research and development. (Source: WEF,Global Competitiveness Report 2007/2008)
