Global: More Warnings on the China Threat

The FBI director said again that American universities are vulnerable to the theft of intellectual property. [Global] Hi everyone! I’m Karin Fischer, and I cover international education. Here’s what I’m following this week: More Warnings on the China ThreatFBI Director Christopher Wray called China the greatest counterintelligence threat to the United States – and suggested again that American universities may be a particular point of [vulnerability.]( Testifying in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, Wray said the Chinese government has used students and researchers and “created pipelines” at universities to steal intellectual property. He wasn’t alone in his criticism of higher ed, as several senators also said universities aren’t doing enough to protect sensitive research. “If we're relying on a university to do it,” said Sen. John Kennedy, a Louisiana Republican, “my guess is a lot of them don't know how, and frankly, some of them probably don't care, as long as they're getting the tuition.” ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Hearing Into Visa BacklogKey members of Congress are signaling their impatience with delays in visa processing, including student visas. [At a hearing]( of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, a California Democrat and the chairwoman, singled out a backlog in approving Optional Practical Training, the program that allows recent international graduates to temporarily stay in the United States and work. The delays, of as much as five months, mean that some students have missed the start date for jobs or internships. Officials from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services largely blamed the wait times on an increase in applications. Life Sentence for Murder of Chinese Scholar The man convicted of killing a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will spend the [rest of his life in prison]( after a jury could not agree on imposing a death sentence. But Brendt Christensen, a former Illinois graduate student, still has not told authorities what he did with Yingying Zhang’s body. Meanwhile, a Greek man has confessed to abducting, raping, and murdering an American scientist who was in Crete for an [academic conference.]( Global Affairs Deans Call for Focus on Diversity and InclusionDeans and directors of some of the top graduate schools in international affairs and public policy say there must be [an increased focus on diversity and inclusion]( in global-affairs education. Leaders from more than 100 institutions, including Columbia, Georgetown, and Tufts Universities, have signed onto the call for action, which recommends that colleges broaden their international-affairs curricula, diversify their faculty and student bodies, and work to foster a culture of inclusion. International Student Declines About More Than Trump A lot of attention has been paid to the “Trump effect,” the idea that the election of President Trump dissuaded international students from studying in the United States. But a fresh examination of student-visa data shows that international enrollment declines were deeper and started earlier than previously understood. In fact, the largest decrease in the number of new F-1 student visas was in fiscal year 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016 – months before the presidential election. You can read my analysis of what this data means – and catch even more of the week’s international-education news – in my newsletter, [latitude(s).]( Chronicle Top Reads [How to Make Your Teaching More Inclusive]( By Viji Sathy and Kelly A. Hogan This comprehensive guide offers a road map to make sure your classroom interactions and course design reach all students, not just some of them. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( [More States Are Passing Campus Free-Speech Laws. Are They Needed, or Is the Crisis Talk Overblown?]( By Katherine Mangan Supporters say the legislation reminds public colleges of their First Amendment obligations. (PREMIUM) Paid for and Created by University of Birmingham [Post-Surgical Infection]( Post-operative deaths account for 7.7 percent of all deaths globally, making it the third-greatest contributor to mortality, after ischemic heart disease and stroke. [Grades Can Hinder Learning. What Should Professors Use Instead?]( By Beckie Supiano Alternative approaches can help shift students’ attention from how they did to what they learned. (PREMIUM) [The Pipeline to Public Service Is Broken. Can Colleges Fix It?]( By Goldie Blumenstyk Interest in government jobs is falling, especially among young people. A new effort is trying to turn that trend around, with colleges as a key partner. Subscribe Today Without premium access, you are missing critical reporting and analysis on the news, policies, and controversies that are shaping the academic landscape. [Subscribe Today]( Latest Jobs Visit [ChronicleVitae.com]( to view the latest jobs in higher education. --------------------------------------------------------------- [Sign up]( for other newsletters, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2019 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037 [The Chronicle of Higher Education](