Wednesday, November 07, 2018

US No Longer Attracts The Best Physics Minds

So much for making America great again.

Ethan Siegel summarizes the recent data on the severe drop in the number of international students seeking advanced physics degree in the US, and the drop in the number of applicants to US schools.

You need to read the article and the history of US advancement in physics, and science in general, to realize why this is a troubling trend. Whether you realize it or not, what you are enjoying now is the result of many such immigrants who came to the US and made extraordinary discoveries and contribution to science. This may no longer be true soon enough.

Yet, according to the American Physical Society, the past year has seen an alarming, unprecedented drop in the number of international applications to physics PhD programs in the United States. In an extremely large survey of 49 of the largest physics departments in the country, representing 41% of all enrolled physics graduate students in the United States, an overall decrease of almost 12% in the number of international applicants was observed from 2017 to 2018.

Graduate students in physics, if you are not aware of it, are the workhorse in advanced physics research. While senior researchers often think of the project, find the funding, and form the group, it is the graduate students and postdoc that often are the ones doing the actual work and executing the plan. And many of us not only rely on their skills and knowledge, but also their creativity in solving the myriads of problems that we often did not anticipate during the research work.

Without graduate students, many research programs would either come to a halt, or will be severely impacted. Period!

And the reality here is that the overwhelming majority of US institutions, both universities and US National Labs, have come to depend on a lot of international graduate students for these research projects. The ability to attract not just the best talent in the US, but also the best talent from all over the world, was a luxury that was the envy of many other countries. But that is no longer the case now, and the gloomy prediction of the beginning of the decline isn't that outrageous.

We find ourselves, today, at the very beginning of what could be the end of America's greatness in the realm of scientific research and education. Science has always been touted as the great equalizer: the scientific truths underlying our Universe know no borders and do not discriminate based on race, gender, or religion. We still have time to reverse this trend, and to welcome the brightest minds the world has to offer into our country.

But if we fail to do so, that intellectual capital will thrive elsewhere, leaving America behind. If we do not change course, "America First" will be the downfall of scientific greatness in our country.

I said as much way back in 2012 when I started noticing for the first time of many established Chinese researchers and college professors starting to migrate back to China and to Chinese institutions, something that was unheard of several years before. So now, compounding the budget constraints, we now have clear data on US no longer attracting as many international students as before.

There are no "greatness" in any of these here.

Zz.

7 comments:

StevenG said...

More like everyone around the world is seeing what a lefty cesspit USA schools have become and they don't want any part of it.

ZapperZ said...

Oh really? And what EVIDENCE do you have to support the drop in enrollment due to such "lefty cesspit"? On the contrary, when you compare the time period of the drop in enrollment with the political climate, it appears that it coincide with the increase in NATIONALISM and right-wing, anti-immigrant sentiment! So I'd say it is due to the other end of the spectrum!

Zz.

StevenG said...

You are assuming it is caused by the rise of extreme right-wing sentiment, I say it is the rise in extreme left-wing sentiment. You said yourself there was an effect back in 2012, well before the current administration. It is well known that conservative voices are being deplatformed all over US campuses and the left is reacting violently to anyone who disagrees with their point of view. Go and look at the myriad of YouTube videos showing this behaviour, especially by the paramilitary wing of the Democrats known as "Antifa", irony of ironies.

ZapperZ said...

You don't seem to understand the meaning of the word "EVIDENCE". You are simply spewing stuff that has no backing.

Back in 2012, the issue was NOT a drop in enrollment and application, but rather a drop in FUNDING. This is due to the SEQUESTRATION that happened that year, and the severe budget cuts the years before!

This has no effect on enrollment and applications to graduate schools. CHECK THE DATA! Look at the predominant reasons why international students opting out of coming to the US since the 2016-2018 period!

Sheesh! Your skewered opining is clouding your judgement! That may work when you try to sell it to your buddies, but it will not work here. Unless you have actual evidence and data to support your position, please do not bother wasting your time (and mine) with your HATE. You had your chances. Your post will not be approved anymore on here. I do not care for such noise.

Zz.

StevenG said...

Yes silence my voice like all you loony lefties. Universities are supposed to be the epitome of free thought and speech, but the left has infected them like a terminal disease and made them hotbeds of intolerance. Yes shut me down and silence me like all you lefties have to do when you hear an opinion you don't like. Enjoy six more years under Trump! Regards

ZapperZ said...

While you wallow in your fake news and delusion without realizing that your Emperor HAS NO CLOTHES!

These "loony leftist" are producing stuff that you are using now. How hypocritical can you get?

Zz.

ZapperZ said...

It's always funny that a lot of people don't seem to understand what "evidence" is, and that just because they can say something, it seems as if that is enough to draw a conclusion from.

To me, that is the foundation and the origin of many of our problems, that people make decisions and conclusions WITHOUT actually having any kind of evidence. So instead, when asked for it, they turn around and attack something else, or someone, so that they can distract from the FACT that they lack any evidence to support their claim.

It is why science education is crucial to everyone, not just to scientist. It is a system of analytical thinking, where if "A causes B", that link and causation needs to be addressed and critically evaluated. Everyone needs this, not just to do science. Otherwise, are simply choosing favorite colors.

Zz.