The US is facing a severe shortage of STEM professionals.

GD&TĐ - The US will lose nearly $500 billion annually due to a decline in the number of international students studying STEM fields.

This will weaken the highly skilled workforce and reduce the capacity for innovation.

The Brain Freeze study, conducted by a group of STEM scientists at American universities, warns that the US risks losing $240-$480 billion annually over the next decade if the number of international students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields continues to decline.

The report highlights that the tightening of visa policies and restrictions on international students under the Trump administration are severely eroding the highly skilled workforce that is fundamental to America's innovation, technological growth, and global competitiveness.

International students account for 50% of STEM graduate students in the US. Meanwhile, foreign-born workers currently make up nearly one-third of the highly skilled STEM workforce. If this percentage drops by one-third, as projected in the report, the US STEM workforce could decline by at least 6%, and by more than 11% at the doctoral level. This would lead to weakened innovation capacity, slower productivity growth, and a direct threat to long-term GDP growth.

The study also highlighted the outstanding contributions of international students to technological innovation. While US-born STEM workers generate an average of 3 patents per 100 employees per year, this figure rises to 8 for international students graduating in the US, accounting for 36% of the total. Beyond directly creating innovations, they also foster a more dynamic research ecosystem, encouraging their American colleagues to develop new ideas.

Beyond the lab, international students contribute to fostering a thriving entrepreneurial environment. Approximately 20% of venture-funded startups in the U.S. are founded by immigrants, a significant portion of whom were former international students. By 2025, nearly half of Fortune 500 companies will have been founded by immigrants or their children, demonstrating the irreplaceable role of highly skilled immigrants in the American economy .

However, despite warnings from academia and business, proposals to tighten regulations, such as limiting F-1 visas, cutting OPT (Operations as a Personal Trainer), or imposing a $100,000 fee on H-1B visas, continue to be considered and implemented. Experts fear that if these policies are widely adopted, they will permanently weaken America's scientific competitiveness and encourage talent to migrate to Canada, Europe, and Asia.

In a global economy heavily reliant on knowledge, the ability to attract and retain talent is not just a matter of education , but a strategic national advantage. And with losses reaching hundreds of billions of dollars annually, the question is whether the United States can maintain its leadership in science and technology if it continues to remain closed off from the world.

Professor Michael Clemens, who teaches at George Mason University, said: “The policy of restricting international students has had a profound impact, but it hasn’t been fully recognized by the American public. I believe that international students are not ‘taking the place’ of domestic students. On the contrary, they bring in important tuition fees that help universities expand their capacity, facilities, and create more opportunities for American students.”

According to The PIE

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/my-thieu-tram-trong-nhan-luc-stem-post755677.html