The Foreign Service Journal, March 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | MARCH 2019 15 LETTERS-PLUS I t is tempting to restrict economic diplomacy’s ambit to officers who cover issues focused on the economy, or who leverage economic tools to achieve particular strategic goals. The department gives a nod to broader participation through the designation of “political-economic” officers, whose portfolios incorporate aspects of a broad range of related issues. Various articles in the January-Feb- ruary Foreign Service Journal make clea r, however, that economic diplomacy embodies a broad scope and relates to a wide range of strategic priorities. Foreign Service officers know that most aspects of our work are inter-related, but it would serve us well to focus on how each aspect contributes to economic diplomacy and to American economic interests, and to link our immediate and specific objectives to larger economic ones in planning and practice. A case in point is how cultural affairs officers (CAOs) promote one of our country’s most important export markets, international education. EducationUSA, the State Department’s global network of 435 educational advising centers in 180 countries and territories, promotes all accredited American colleges and universities, more than 4,700 institu- tions. Some 550 advisers—based at U.S. missions, Fulbright Commissions, bina- tional centers, nongovernmental organi- zations, foreign universities and private sector partners—encourage students from around the world to study in the United States by providing them unbiased information and helping them find a “right fit” with a U.S. institution. The sector’s economic importance is huge: inter- national students con- tributed $42.4 billion to the U.S. economy in 2017, generating some 450,000 American jobs in all parts of the country. International students strengthen U.S. economic and academic competitiveness, and their tuition and expenses—some 65 percent of which comes from non-U.S. sources—help U.S. host campuses sustain programs and offset costs for American students. Both the Department of State (through EducationUSA) and the Department of Commerce promote U.S. higher education. Because State focuses on the foreign policy and public diplomacy value of international educa- tion, we work to promote the sector holistically (all accredited colleges and universities). Many smaller institutions would not have the means to reach out to students overseas without this. This focus also means we seek to attract international students world- wide, not only from high-income coun- tries or from countries that already send large numbers of students. The depart- ment is sending a strong message that Promotion of U.S. Higher Education— Where Public and Economic Diplomacy Meet BY ALFRED BOLL the United States wants all countries and communities to benefit from one of our best national resources, our higher education system. At the same time, all officers managing EducationUSA pro- grams understand the significance of the wider economic context, and the impact of the department’s work in the United States, especially the benefits to local and state economies. CAOs who manage EducationUSA operations around the globe with sup- port from Washington and cooperat- ing partners are promoting American exports of education (the way an econo- mist might see it), as well as lasting ties with individuals and institutions that have the potential to benefit the United States for generations. Students who study in the United States come to understand American values, the democratic system and the benefits of the rule of law. Those same students become future leaders in busi- ness and trade, science and innovation, and other sectors, where they often build on relationships formed with Americans during their studies, further enhancing economic relations with the United States through their professional networks.