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Bill Aims to Protect Intellectual Property on Campuses

FILE - A gate opens to the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 13, 2018. A Harvard professor was charged in January 2020 with lying about receiving millions in funding from Chinese research agencies and not reporting it properly.
FILE - A gate opens to the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 13, 2018. A Harvard professor was charged in January 2020 with lying about receiving millions in funding from Chinese research agencies and not reporting it properly.

A bipartisan bill has been introduced to prevent foreign competitors such as China from stealing U.S. intellectual property developed at U.S. colleges and universities.

The Safeguarding American Innovation Act introduced Thursday by Senators Rob Portman, a Republican from Ohio, and Democrat Tom Carper from Delaware aims to protect university-led research from theft.

The bill includes provisions to standardize the federal grant process and to strengthen visa exchange programs by implementing safeguards of foreign nationals seeking access to sensitive technologies.

The senators based their legislation on their 2019 report that asserts that American taxpayers have unknowingly contributed to the rise of the Chinese economy and military through China's "talent recruitment" tactics.

The report states that the Chinese government has been recruiting scientists and researchers to transfer intellectual property developed by U.S. colleges and universities to China. In a recent high-visibility case, a Harvard professor was charged with lying about receiving millions in funding from Chinese research agencies and not reporting it properly.

Portman and Carper – chairman and ranking member of the permanent subcommittee on investigations, respectively – received support from research universities for their proposed legislation.

This bill "will strengthen the security and integrity of our nation's scientific and research enterprise, something we at Ohio State take very seriously," said Morley O. Stone, senior vice president for research at Ohio State University in Columbus.

"Wright State University, as a productive research institution, strongly supports this legislation to ensure the protection of U.S. research and intellectual property against theft," said Sue Edwards, president of Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

One observer of the IP discussion said the U.S. should stay ahead of competitors.

"America could prevail through ingenuity and determination," commented Josh Malone on IPWatchdog.com. "If we increase the rate of innovation, we could constantly pump out superior technologies and stay ahead."

A self-described independent inventor using the handle Ternary commented that an improved patent system in the U.S. would spark innovation here.

"I am less worried about Chinese theft of my IP rights than the extraordinary difficulties and costs to establish my valid IP rights here," Ternary said. "We are our own worst enemy."

Others voiced concerns that the bill will interfere with scientific collaboration with other countries.

"Will the Safeguarding American Innovation Act end up being a bill to protect research and innovation on US campuses or a bill that will harm American science collaboration and economic interests?" tweeted Jordan LaCrosse, a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.

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‘Study away’ programs in the US can provide enrichment opportunities 

FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.
FILE - Students walk on the campus of Boston College, April 29, 2024, in Boston.

While studying abroad can expose students to new cultures and experiences, researchers are finding that domestic ‘study away’ programs can be helpful as well.

Some students, including those on an international visa, may not be able to study abroad, but they can travel to other locations in the U.S. for enrichment experiences, Ashley Mowreader writes in Inside Higher Ed. (October 2024)

Fewer students disclose race in applications to top colleges 

FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023
FILE - An unidentified person walks past Harvard yard at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 7, 2023

FAfter the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action in college admissions last year, fewer students are disclosing their race or ethnicity in applications to top colleges.

Writing in USA Today, Zachary Schermele notes that the data is preliminary, but it could signal a change in the way students are approaching college applications. (October 2024)

Overall college enrollment is up, first-year enrollment down 

FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
FILE - A student delivers packages to the dormitory at DePaul University in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.

For the second year since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, college enrollment has climbed in the United States.

But the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center noticed a substantial drop in the number of freshmen, which could be troubling for future enrollment, according to a report in Forbes. (October 2024)

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool

South African universities embrace AI, seeing it as equalizing tool
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The rise of AI tools like ChatGPT has sparked debate in higher education, raising questions about ethics and integrity in teaching, learning and knowledge creation. In South Africa, some academic institutions are taking a proactive approach, integrating AI into their curricula. Experts say this step is not only innovative but also helps level the playing field among students. Zaheer Cassim reports from Johannesburg.

International students may be able to get jobs at school 

FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.
FILE - Northeastern University graduate student Shabbir Hussain, of Indore, India, left, views a computer screen at the entrance to the Snell Library on the Northeastern University campus in Boston on May 24, 2016.

International students studying in the United States may be able to work on campus.

Jobs can include working in libraries, labs, food service and dormitories – but students will have to research the rules before applying for jobs, according to U.S. News & World Report. (September 2024)

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