| Keep America competitive |
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Austin American-Statesman
Wednesday, April 23, 2008 On April 15, I met with the presidents of some of America's most prestigious universities to discuss improving our nation's global competitiveness. There is a growing consensus that America's future prosperity is threatened by an erosion in our educational capabilities. Compared with children in other countries, our nation's students are underperforming in the vitally important fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). These areas of expertise spur creativity and new technologies, which are essential for economic growth. In fact, as much as 85 percent of the measured growth in per capita income is due to technological advancement. |