A continuum of education and training programs will be offered by the Science & Trade Policy Program in cooperation with other elements of the University and with outside institutions.
Science and Technology for Legislative Staff
For the first time in decades, the United States Congress has substantially reduced the professional staff of its standing committees, with decentralization of legislative expertise back to the individual Member's office. Recent Congresses have seen compressed legislative timetables and an increased willingness to change long-standing procedures. This effort to enhance education and training of the legislative assistants responsible for science and technology issues is being conducted in cooperation with two schools of the University of Maryland, College Park.
An advisory committee, headed by former Congressmen Emilio Q. Daddario and Robert Walker, is assisting with the development of specially designed courses on science and technology policy for Congressional staff. These courses will be presented in a neutral context, with faculty and instructors presenting the full spectrum of viewpoints on what are often complex issues. Cast in a practical vein, the courses are short, on the order of ten hours in each module, and offered at various periods convenient to the participants. The students typically will be legislative staff with primary or secondary responsibility for science and technology issues for the 535 members of Congress.
Short Courses on Trade and Technology
Plans are being formulated for short courses on trade and technology topics, to be developed jointly with Asian and European universities. Comparative examinations of U.S. and foreign issues would be emphasized in these courses, with a feasibility stage covering two such courses: one at George Mason and one in Asia with Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, or China being the most likely venues. Curriculum development and other launch costs would be required from external sources for both the domestically based course and the Asian experimental course. They are projected to be self-sustaining in the out-years.
Short courses on U.S. science, trade, and technology development designed for foreign business leaders also are under consideration. Some may be developed in cooperation with foreign institutions, including universities and research institutes. Curriculum development related to the launch of the initial course would require external funding.