An American education abroad

Loory: Private and public U.S. organizations have been exporting billions of dollars in goods and services to countries around the world to make money in rapidly growing local economies. What started years ago as study abroad programs for American students, mainly in Western Europe, have developed into huge projects, including U.S. universities building actual campuses abroad. There, schools can educate students in their home countries rather than bringing them into the U.S. An American higher education is valued around the world, in much the same manner as entertainment, music or computer technology. American educators abroad helped to spread this country’s ideals, techniques, scientific methods and its belief in democracy. It’s one area where the U.S. can do well for the world, and do good for itself at the same time. Journalist Tamar Lewin detailed all of this in two recent New York Times articles. The growth of American education abroad has been going on for years. What made this a front-page story now?