昨天公布的一项调查显示，美国研究生院接收的外国学生数量连续第3年出现增长。

The number of foreign students accepted by US graduate schools has risen for a third consecutive¹ year, according to a survey released today.

学术界许多人士表示，8%的增幅是一个明显迹象，说明美国政府改善冗长学生签证程序的努力正在奏效。

Many in academia say the 8 per cent rise is a clear sign that US government efforts to improve the tedious student visa process are working.

但研究生院理事会(Council of Graduate Schools)的这项调查称，尽管连续3年出现增长，但仍有78%的美国研究生院称，今年留学生的申请人数少于2003年。

But even after three years of growth, 78 per cent of US graduate schools reported fewer international applicants² this year than in 2003, according to the survey by the Council of Graduate Schools.

2001年9月11日发生恐怖袭击之后，美国国务院对学生签证施加了严格限制，导致申请美国研究生院的外国学生人数在2004年和2005年有所下降。企业界和学术界担忧，这种下降会最终损害美国的竞争力。

The number of foreign students applying to US graduate schools dropped in 2004 and 2005 after the state department imposed restrictions³ on students seeking visas in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001. The drops fed fears in industry and academia that US competitiveness would eventually be harmed.

为此，美国国务院做出了政策调整，延长了科学和工程专业学生的签证有效期，并提高了工作人员的水平能力，以减少签证办理时间。

The state department responded by revamping its policy, extending visas for science and engineering students and increasing staff levels to shorten visa processing times.

该调查发现，近三分之一的美国研究生院与国外大学建立了联合或双学位课程，这表明高等教育正在不断全球化。

The survey found that nearly a third of US graduate schools have established joint⁴ or dual-degree programmes with international universities – an indication of the growing globalisation of higher education.

研究生院理事会主席黛布拉?斯图尔特(Debra Stewart)表示，在许多美国大学扩招留学生的同时，其它国家的大学也在这么做。

Debra Stewart, CGS president, said that while many US universities had expanded their recruitment of foreign students, universities in other countries had also done so.

她表示：“美国的研究生院与海外机构建立合作学位课程，是对日益加剧的全球竞争的回应。”

“US graduate schools establishing collaborative degree programmes with institutions overseas is one response to increasing global competition,” she said.

在开展合作项目的美国研究生院中，大约39%的学院与欧洲大学开设了硕士学位课程，18%的学院与欧洲学术机构开设博士课程。

About 39 per cent of US graduate schools with collaborative schemes have master’s degree programmes with universities in Europe, while 18 per cent have doctoral programmes with European institutions.

美国学校与中国和印度开设联合课程的情况也日益普遍。近四分之一的美国研究生院表示，它们与中国的高校联合开设了硕士课程，14%的美国学院与印度学术机构开设了此类课程。

US schools with joint programmes in China and India are also increasingly common. Nearly a quarter of US graduate schools said they had master’s programmes with Chinese colleges and universities, and 14 per cent with institutions in India.