Subcommittee Discusses Student Visas, Security
BU IN DC
Sargent College Dean Christopher Moore met with Washington-area alumni and parents on June 7.
Azer Bestavros of the Rafik B. Hariri Institute for Computing and Computational Science & Engineering attended a panel at the National Science Foundation on June 7 and 8.
SUBCOMMITTEE DISCUSSES STUDENT VISAS, SECURITY
On Wednesday, the Senate Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration held a hearing entitled, “Student Visa Integrity: Protecting Educational Opportunity and National Security.” Witnesses from the national security community focused on the potential threats international students and academics, particularly those from China, pose to national and economic security. Representatives from the academic community expressed an interest in better communication with national security officials. They also emphasized the need to bolster U.S. research funding in order to address the competitive threats posed by nations that have increased their support for science. Members of Congress and the Administration are expected to continue their scrutiny of security in academic settings.
SPENDING PANEL BOOSTS HUMANITIES, ARTS
On Wednesday, the House Appropriations Committee approved a spending bill that proposes to increase funding at both the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) by $2 million, bringing each agency’s budget to $155 million in fiscal year 2019. The Committee’s action is an early indication that, for the second year in a row, Congress intends to reject the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate the NEH and the NEA. The full U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate will need to approve the proposed spending increases before they can take effect.
BUZZ BITS…
- On Monday, the National Institutes of Health released its first Strategic Plan for Data Science, intended to mobilize advancements in data storage, communications, and processing to modernize how data is utilized in the life sciences.
- The Senate confirmed Kenneth Marcus to lead the U.S. Department of Education Office of Civil Rights by a 50 – 46 vote on Thursday.
- The U.S. Department of Labor issued its final report on expanding apprenticeships last month. The report states “the American higher education system is churning out a pool of in-debt job seekers who are not equipped to meet the skills needs of many employers…”