I like it! Number three on the list!

OP-ED: Laughing and Crying, By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN, New York Times, May 23, 2007

Money quote:

I think any foreign student who gets a Ph.D. in our country -- in any subject -- should be offered citizenship.

Definitely add this one to the list, after civilians who work for the SysAdmin and those who join our armed forces.

I like it!

Comments

[PamC]

The quote seems incomplete

[Anonymous]

indeed it was. thanks, PamC. i fixed it now

[Chad]

As a PhD candidate, I wonder if we putting our money where our mouth is. If 'physics' wages are not rising (or worst, falling) in relative terms, I can see why this is happening. The requirements for these types of jobs require a lot of investment in time/money (7 yrs. ave. for a Physics PhD). So, if you can attract cheap foreign talent with the promise of a green card and cheap US dollar, you will do that. But if we want our kids working as scientists and not on Wall Street, then it should pay the long investment. I'm for globalized trade but, hey, the opportunity costs need to flow in the right direction.

[CitSAR]

I would add, first and second responders as well.

[Hans Suter]

a kind of "Republik der Gelehrten" ?

[Ray Kimball]

Does this really enhance connectivity? Yes, I understand the argument of having these folks stay here and send more and information flows back to their home country, but wouldn't it be far more transformative to have them working directly in the Gap with their knowledge and skills. Think of the power of having these folks (with their local knowledge and credibility) partner with SysAdmin types.

Perhaps a dual citizenship model, or provisional citizenship predicated on national service in _their_ country?

[Lexington Green]

"I think any foreign student who gets a Ph.D. in our country -- in any subject -- should be offered citizenship."

One very serious problem. Once you make any metric a criterion for government largesse or legal benefit the metric is immediately degraded and attacked by those who want the benefit. The most obvious example is the current system where schools have to pass tests, so they spend all their time doing test prep instead of teaching subjects that have value. A similar Gresham's Law would happen with this proposal. Bogus Ph.D.s would proliferate very quickly, and the government would get heavily involved in regulating what is and is not a Ph.D. and the effect on education in the USA would be highly negative. It is something like what happened to college education during Vietnam, when people were allowed to get in and hang on in BA programs so they wouldn't get sent to VN to get their legs blown off.

Think hard about system-corruption and unintended consequences.

The basic idea is good -- admit, smart, able, ambitious, educated people. The selection of criteria have to be handled differently.