Having visited several Asian universities and having seen their large number of research facilities, I am not surprised when I read articles about Asian nations making enormous investments in their universities.
I am surprised, however, when I read articles about U.S. states making enormous disinvestments in their universities. For example, the University of California—long regarded as the nation’s leading public university—recently suffered an $813 million reduction in state financing. Disinvestment is also happening to universities in Michigan, Washington, Arizona and many other states.
Can the U.S. continue to have the best universities in the world if it continues disinvesting in its universities while Asian nations are investing in theirs?