Education is one the most important parts of the Obama administration's policy agenda. The president himself expressed the challenges that face citizens around the world and in America in his speech in Cairo on June 4th: President Obama: I know that for many the face of globalization is contradictory. The Internet and television can bring knowledge and information, but also offensive sexuality and mindless violence into the home. Trade can bring new wealth and opportunities, but also huge disruptions and change in communities. In all nations, including America, this change can bring fear. Fear that because of modernity, we lose control over our economic choices, our politics, and most importantly our identities – those things we most cherish about our communities, our families, our traditions, and our faith.
Narrator: President Obama's commitment to education is linked directly to the promotion of partnerships and exchanges with communities around the world. In America, the Obama administration has set several goals for improving education, such as ensuring that America will have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020. The president also believes that all Americans should be prepared to enroll in at least one year of higher education or job training to better prepare the American workforce for a 21st-century economy.
As President Obama said in a recent speech to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the source of America's prosperity has never been merely about the accumulation of wealth, but how well America educates its people. In a 21st-century world where jobs can be shipped wherever there's an Internet connection, and where your best job qualification is not what you do, but what you know, education is a prerequisite for success. In Cairo, the president addressed development and the role of education in creating successful societies in a globalized economic environment: President Obama: “… I also know that human progress cannot be denied. There need not be contradictions between development and tradition. Countries like Japan and South Korea grew their economies enormously while maintaining distinct cultures. The same is true for the astonishing progress within Muslim-majority countries from Kuala Lumpur to Dubai. In ancient times and in our times, Muslim communities have been at the forefront of innovation and education.
And this is important because no development strategy can be based only upon what comes out of the ground, nor can it be sustained while young people are out of work. Many Gulf states have enjoyed great wealth as a consequence of oil, and some are beginning to focus it on broader development. But all of us must recognize that education and innovation will be the currency of the 21st century -- (applause) -- and in too many Muslim communities, there remains underinvestment in these areas. I'm emphasizing such investment within my own country. And while America in the past has focused on oil and gas when it comes to this part of the world, we now seek a broader engagement.
On education, we will expand exchange programs, and increase scholarships, like the one that brought my father to America. At the same time, we will encourage more Americans to study in Muslim communities. And we will match promising Muslim students with internships in America; invest in online learning for teachers and children around the world; and create a new online network, so a young person in Kansas can communicate instantly with a young person in Cairo.” Narrator: For years, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs has promoted mutual understanding between American citizens and the people of other countries. Since 1961, programs that emphasize international educational and cultural exchange and leadership development have involved students, educators, artists, athletes, and rising leaders in the United States and more than 160 countries. Today, there are over 1 million program alumni around the world, including more than 40 Nobel Laureates and more than 300 current and former heads of state and government.
One program, called the National Security Language Initiative, is an effort coordinated by the White House to increase the number of Americans learning, speaking, and teaching critical-need languages such as Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Turkish. Language skills are essential to promote understanding between and convey respect for different cultures, and the initiative demonstrates U.S. commitment to these goals.
The youth portion of the program provides American teens – ages 15 to 18 - with opportunities to achieve language fluency and deepen their cultural understanding of the countries where these languages are spoken. The program provides scholarships for American high school students to learn languages overseas in intensive immersion programs.
Other programs provide opportunities for students and scholars from other countries to come to America. Perhaps the most famous of these is the Fulbright Program, created in 1945. Today, the Fulbright Program operates in more than 155 countries and has provided over 285,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research in each others' countries and exchange ideas. Technology and globalization have transformed the world since 1945, but the fundamental principles of international partnership and mutual understanding at the core of the Fulbright Program are more relevant today than ever before.
The National Security Language Initiative and the Fulbright Program both demonstrate the importance of education in a global sense. These programs encourage young Americans to dedicate themselves to a lifetime of learning languages, and inspire future generations to be active participants in the international community. Ultimately, these programs are about people – and advancing the shared interests of the United States and the global community through person-to-person relationships.
