Are you wondering why this column’s headline is in Chinese? Here’s a hint: The translation is “Time for a National Technology Policy.” China has one. The United States doesn’t.In 1992, I hosted an event at Avery Fisher Hall in New York City titled “The Great Debate: Does the United States Need a Formal Technology Policy?” Panelists included two members of Congress and two high-tech CEOs. Their conclusion: Forget it. The government should stay out of the tech business.In December 2003, CIO asked visitors to its website the same question in a Quick Poll. How times have changed. Now seven in 10 agree: The United States does need a long-term technology policy covering science, education and R&D. What caused this sea change? The World Wide Web.Even though high-speed connectivity isn’t yet globally pervasive, telecommuting has morphed from doing work in your pajamas 10 miles from the office to offshore outsourcers doing the same work halfway around the world, 24/7, at half the cost. The Web and globalization have leveled the playing field for other countries to compete. Some people, including myself, worry how the United States will be able to maintain its technology leadership. We are right to worry. According to the National Science Foundation’s “Science and Engineering Indicators 2003” report, 1.3 million students received degrees from American universities in 2002; only 59,000, or just 5 percent, of those degrees were in engineering. In the same time frame, the People’s Republic of China conferred 568,000 college degrees. But an amazing 220,000?or 39 percent?were engineering degrees. It’s not a coincidence that the Chinese government has promoted technology education for more than two decades. Other countries?India, for example?are putting more emphasis on math, science and engineering education than America is.The United States’s robust capacity to invent and to innovate depends on the influx of new ideas from the next generation. If current trends continue, what aspect of the tech business will America still lead in the future? Will our best technical minds find better opportunities halfway around the world? These are tough questions, with no easy answers. Related content BrandPost Retail innovation playbook: Fast, economical transformation on Microsoft Cloud For retailers, tight integration of data and systems is the antidote to a challenging economy. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 3 mins Retail Industry Digital Transformation BrandPost How retailers are empowering business transformation with TCS and Microsoft Cloud AI-powered omnichannel integration and a strong, secure digital core lets retailers innovate across four primary areas while staying compliant, maintaining security and preventing fraud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 4 mins Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to Build ROI from Cloud Migration This whitepaper and webcast can help you calculate the ROI and create a business case for modernizing your legacy applications to the Microsoft Cloud. By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Cloud Computing BrandPost How to power a sustainable enterprise on Microsoft Cloud In this eBook, we’ll follow the journey of Amal Skye, a fictitious woman who is committed to living in a way that preserves the planet for the future —and how businesses like Tata Consultancy Services and Microsoft are making that possi By Tata Consultancy Services Mar 24, 2023 1 min Retail Industry Green IT Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe