Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. (May 17, 2011) – Today, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) released a new report, Preparing Future Faculty to Assess Student Learning, which describes the need for greater faculty engagement in the assessment of undergraduate student learning and outlines a strategy for achieving this goal through enhanced preparation of graduate students.  The report examines how model programs introduce graduate students to assessment concepts and approaches and identifies promising practices for scaling up these efforts within and across institutions of higher education.  The report is the result of a grant to CGS from the Teagle Foundation to explore the potential for an expanded national network of universities to improve the preparation of graduate students in the assessment of undergraduate learning.

Most higher education faculty in the US are now expected to assess undergraduate student learning in ways that would have been unfamiliar to their predecessors and were rare just a decade ago. Heightened expectations for well-defined learning outcomes and evidence that those outcomes are being used to improve teaching and learning are coming from all sides: regional accrediting bodies, state boards, federal agencies, and senior college and university leaders. Yet, while many of today’s graduate students will soon move into faculty positions, most graduate programs do not currently expose their graduate students to learning assessment strategies they can use when they join the ranks of faculty.

“The key to effective assessment is not only faculty understanding of key principles and approaches, but also strong faculty input on and championship of these principles and approaches,” said CGS President Debra Stewart.  She continued, “We are grateful for Teagle’s leadership in recognizing the importance of preparing graduate students to embrace these roles.”  

Along with highlighting model programs, the report also discusses shortcomings of current approaches, persistent challenges, and ways of more widely disseminating promising practices to ensure that a larger portion of US faculty begin their careers with the skills and understanding needed to enhance the quality of undergraduate learning in US higher education.

Dr. Stewart added, “This project has identified where the biggest opportunities lie in the graduate community for enhancing the quality of undergraduate education. If we can coordinate and scale up enhancements of efforts already underway, Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) and PFF-type programs provide a great opportunity to improve the quality of undergraduate learning through the enhanced training of graduate students.”

Between 1993 and 2003, CGS, in partnership with the Association of American Colleges and Universities, funded and coordinated the development of PFF programs at 45 doctoral universities. These PFF programs prepared graduate students for the full range of faculty roles and responsibilities, with an emphasis on teaching, through collaborations with nearly 300 other US colleges and universities. While seed funding ended in 2003, CGS has continued to assist the development of new programs, and many of the original programs have continued to evolve, though some have scaled back their activities.

Preparing Future Faculty to Assess Student Learning reviews recent literature on trends in assessment and learning, discusses the national and institutional contexts for assessment, and reports findings from a national survey of 37 institutions with PFF and other, similar programs as well as a workshop that convened national assessment experts, graduate deans with model programs, and recent student participants. Key findings include:

• The majority of respondents (78%) reported that, over the past decade, requirements for faculty at their university in the assessment of student learning increased. Only 14% reported that such requirements stayed about the same, and none reported a decrease in such requirements.
• About two-thirds (68%) of PFF or similar programs currently integrate some form of learning assessment, but these programs reach small numbers of graduate students and only a fraction of the future faculty.
• More evidence about what works, more active forums for best practice exchange, and more discussion about the assessment of learning in the disciplines are needed to strengthen faculty support for learning assessment.

More information, about the project and ordering the publication, is available here.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. (August 9, 2011) – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) released the results of its first Professional Science Master’s Enrollment and Degrees Survey, an annual survey documenting applications,  enrollments, and degrees awarded.  The Professional Science Master’s (PSM) is an innovative, new graduate degree designed to allow students to pursue advanced training in science or mathematics, while simultaneously developing workplace skills highly valued by employers.

“This report shows that nationally, PSM programs appeal to a diverse talent pool,” said Debra Stewart, CGS president.  She added, “Through the PSM, U.S. citizens, minorities, and women are being drawn to advanced study in STEM fields.  Clearly this helps meet U.S. workforce needs.”

This new report includes data on applications received and accepted for fall 2010, as well as enrollment data for fall 2010 and degrees awarded during the 2009-10 academic year, from nearly 90% of all PSM programs worldwide.  Over 98% of respondents were based in the United States and of those U.S. programs, about 74% were located at public institutions.  Key findings include:

Applications:

• Nearly 4,400 applications were received for fall 2010 admission and 48% were accepted.
• PSM programs in biology/biotechnology received more applications than programs in other fields of study, constituting 34.1% of all applications received.

First-Time Enrollment:

• 55.5% of first-time enrollees were men, and 44.5% were women
• 58.9% of all first-time PSM students were enrolled full-time while the remainder were part-time students.
• 16.8% of first-time enrollees in U.S.-based PSM programs were temporary residents (i.e., international students).
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 22.2% of first-time enrollees were underrepresented minorities (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian/Alaska Native).

Total Enrollment:

• Total enrollment was divided more evenly than first-time enrollment between men (51.1%) and women (48.9%).
• Roughly one in every eight (13.4%) PSM students enrolled in U.S.-based institutions were temporary residents.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 29.2% of enrollees in the fall of 2010 were underrepresented minorities.
• Nearly three-quarters (73.3%) of all PSM students were pursuing degrees in computational sciences, biology/biotechnology, or environmental sciences.

Degrees awarded:

• Precisely half of the 1,102 PSM degrees awarded by respondents in academic year 2009/10 were awarded to men and half to women.
• One in four (24.1%) graduates of U.S.-based PSM programs were international students.
• Among U.S. citizens and permanent residents, 22.4% of PSM graduates in 2009/10 were underrepresented minorities.
• Nearly six in ten (57.7%) PSM degrees awarded in 2009/10 were in biology/biotechnology and computational sciences.
• Men earned the majority of the PSM degrees granted in mathematics and statistics, physics and geological sciences, and computational sciences.
• Women earned the majority of the degrees granted in “other” fields (which includes chemistry, forensic science, nanoscience, and national defense), medical-related sciences, and biology/biotechnology.

The 2011 PSM applications, enrollments and degrees data will be released in December and will allow CGS to begin comparing year-to-year changes in the PSM data.

The report is available in pdf format at sciencemasters.com. 

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. (Tuesday, June 21, 2011) – Today, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS), with funding from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, announced awards to five universities to participate in a study on completion and attrition in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) master’s programs.  The awardees will collect data on completion and attrition in STEM master’s degree programs, administer surveys to students, graduates, and those who do not complete their degrees, and conduct student focus groups.  Additionally, awardees will survey graduate program directors.  All of the data collected will allow stakeholders to better understand reasons for enrollment, factors that contribute to student success, and promising practices to improve completion. Insight gained from these activities can help ensure that U.S. graduate schools are preparing the necessary talent at the master’s level in STEM fields to meet the challenges of the 21^st century.

Five institutions were selected as Research Partners in CGS’ project on Completion and Attrition in STEM Master’s Programs and will each receive $30,000 in funding to participate.  These institutions reflect the breadth and depth of U.S. universities offering master’s programs.  The Research Partners, selected by an independent committee, are:

Loyola University Chicago

Purdue University

Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

Texas A&M University

Wright State University

“A master’s degree in a STEM field often offers a clear pathway to professional employment and career success.  In this economy, more than ever, we need to better understand the factors affecting completion and attrition at the master’s level,” said Debra Stewart, CGS President.  “This will be the first study of its kind in the United States and we are delighted to work with these innovative graduate schools on this unique project.  The results of this study will be information essential to graduate deans as they foster student achievement in graduate education.”

Additional institutions will be invited to join in the research effort as unfunded Project Partners.  The study’s findings will be released in a monograph in 2013. Additionally, a decision will be made on whether an in-depth follow-up project on master’s completion and attrition is necessary. It is envisioned that a follow-up project would engage a much larger number of CGS member institutions to provide completion and attrition data, conduct surveys of entering students, graduates, and non-completers, and implement interventions that are designed to improve outcomes in master’s programs.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting today that there was an increase of 8% in first-time enrollment of international students at U.S. graduate schools from 2010 to 2011.  This increase builds on last year’s growth of 3%.  The gain is the largest since 2006, when international first-time graduate enrollment increased 12%.

Fifty-seven percent of the institutions that responded to the survey reported an increase in international first-time enrollment, with an average increase of 15%; for those 92 institutions reporting a decrease, the average decline was 14%.  Total enrollment of international graduate students rose 2%, compared to 1% in 2010 and 2% in 2009.  (First-time and total enrollment trends differ due to the varying length of time required to complete graduate degrees, particularly doctorates.) 

First-time enrollment changes vary considerably by country of origin.  First-time enrollment of students from China, the country that sends the most graduate students to the U.S., increased by 21%, and the Middle East saw 14% growth.  There was 2% growth in the number of students enrolling for the first-time from India, the second largest sending country, following a 3% drop last year and a 16% decline in 2009.  First-time graduate enrollment of students from South Korea remained flat in 2011 after a 3% drop in 2010 and a 13% decline in 2009.

“This surge in new student enrollments tracks well with the increases in applications and offers of admission seen earlier this year,” said Debra W. Stewart, CGS President. “In order to remain the first-choice for the best and brightest students from around the world, the U.S. must maintain our investments in graduate education and our outreach to prospective international students,” she added. 

Enrollment trends by field of study and institution type

The changes in international first-time graduate enrollment vary by field of study and institution type.  The largest gains were seen in education and physical & earth sciences (both 12%).  The increase in education was particularly strong after a decrease of 7% last year.  Business (9%) and ‘other fields’ (8%) also saw strong growth, and engineering grew 6%, while life sciences saw the smallest growth of 1%. 

The survey also reports changes based on the number of graduate degrees granted to international students by institutions.  Overall, the schools that award the largest number of degrees to international students were more likely to see an increase in international first-time graduate enrollment.  There was 9% growth at the institutions granting the largest number of degrees, compared to a 4% increase at schools that award fewer degrees to international students. 

Similar to years past, the increase in first-time international enrollment this year was driven primarily by doctoral institutions which enroll more international students than master’s-focused institutions.  Doctoral institutions saw first-time enrollment growth of 8% while master’s-focused institutions saw a drop of 5% for the second year in a row.

There were increases in first-time graduate enrollment of international students by geographic region as well; the Northeast saw a 10% increase, the Midwest grew 8% and the West and South both saw 7% increases.

About the report

Findings from the 2011 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase III: Final Offers of Admissions and Enrollment is based on the final phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions.  The survey had a response rate of 48%, including 75 of the 100 institutions that grant the largest numbers of graduate degrees to international students. 

The report is available at: http://cgsnet.org/ckfinder/userfiles/files/R_IntlEnrl11_III.pdf

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C. (Thursday, July 7, 2011) – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has published a new book, Global Perspectives on Measuring Quality: Proceedings of the 2010 Strategic Leaders Global Summit on Graduate Education.  Reflecting the contributions of graduate education leaders from 17 countries, the publication examines the benefits and challenges of assessing the quality of master’s and doctoral programs in different global regions while highlighting international best practices in measuring quality.

The need for international exchange of best practice on quality measurement in graduate education was recognized at the first Global Summit in Banff, Canada (2007). CGS, the Australian Group of Eight (Go8), and the Deans and Directors of Graduate Studies in Australia (DDoGS) chose quality assessment as the theme for  the Fourth Annual Summit, co-sponsored by CGS and the Go8  in Brisbane, Australia from September 13-15^th, 2010.

The new publication represents the efforts of 2010 Summit participants to better understand differences between various national and regional approaches to assessing quality in graduate education. CGS President, Debra Stewart, commented that the publication shows good progress toward this goal: “Global Perspectives on Measuring Quality demonstrates that successful approaches to measuring quality are always carefully adapted to national and institutional contexts. But it also reflects the strong interest of graduate institutions in drawing from international expertise to enhance quality at home.”

Maxwell King, Dean of Graduate Studies at Monash University in Australia, observed that the new book, like the consensus statement reached by summit delegates, shows increasing attention to the outcomes of graduate research training, in addition to research outcomes. “As the Brisbane Principles make clear, the first goal of assessment is to enhance graduate students’ learning and professional development. By focusing on this goal, we also strengthen graduate programs, universities, and the global research enterprise.”

The publication features brief essays by the 43 summit participants, which included deans and other leaders of graduate schools, representatives of national and international organizations devoted to graduate education, and a number of government officials with oversight for the quality of graduate education in their countries. Along with Australia and the United States, the countries represented were: Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand, the U.K., and Vietnam.

Authors address broad issues such as defining quality in graduate education, as well as approaches to assessing and improving quality in specific areas like recruitment and retention of graduate students,

mentoring and supervision, and the development of professional skills. Other general topics include:

• National priorities for assessing the quality of graduate education and research
• Approaches to creating a university culture that values assessment
• Supporting the development of research training environments
• Using assessment to support program design
• Assessing skills and competencies for different career pathways
• International best practices for quality measurement

Global Perspectives on Measuring Quality is the fourth book in a series of Global Summit proceedings published by CGS. Previous books include Global Perspectives on Graduate International Collaborations (2010), Global Perspectives on Research Ethics and Scholarly Integrity (2009), and Global Perspectives on Graduate Education (2008). More information about ordering copies of the current and past proceedings can be found on the Strategic Leaders Global Summit and International Publications webpages.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C.  – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) released a new comprehensive guide for institutions as they seek to implement or improve Professional Science Master’s (PSM) programs. Professional Science Master’s: A Council of Graduate Schools Guide to Establishing Programs lays out the history of the PSM and its importance to American competitiveness and innovation.  The publication highlights the degree’s uniqueness, its grounding in natural science, technology, engineering, mathematics and/or computational sciences, and its emphasis on professional skills. 

“Recently released PSM alumni data show that PSM degree holders have strong career outcomes, with 82% employed even in a difficult job market,” said Debra W. Stewart, CGS President.  She added, “Given workforce demands and student interest, institutions may be considering developing PSM programs and will find this guide an invaluable tool.”

For the past five years, CGS has had primary responsibility for supporting and expanding the Sloan Foundation’s Professional Science Master’s Initiative, with the goal of making the PSM a regular feature of U.S. graduate education.  The Sloan Foundation first began its work on the PSM 15 years ago and since then there has been remarkable growth in both the number and diversity of PSM programs.  There are currently over 235 PSM programs at more than 110 institutions across 31 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, The United Kingdom, and Australia. A recent study found that more than 1,100 PSM degrees were granted in 2009-10.

The new monograph chronicles some of the changes in the landscapes of PSM programs and graduate education over the past five years and is intended to serve as a guide for those who are developing PSM programs by incorporating a wealth of experience-based information that is essential to the creation and maintenance of high quality programs. Feasibility analysis, PSM program development, program operation, and the process for seeking formal PSM Affiliation, including the Guidelines for Affiliation of Professional Science Master’s Programs, are discussed in detail in the book. Best practices gleaned from the real-world experience of existing PSM programs are included as well.

Information on how to order the publication is available at sciencemasters.com.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

The Council of Graduate Schools strongly supports President Obama’s call to out-innovate, out-educate, and out-build the rest of the world while taking responsibility for our deficit and reforming government.  In his 2011 State of the Union message, the President charted a path forward that outlined strategic investments to create 21st century jobs and win the future for America.

“This is our generation’s Sputnik moment,” said the President.  The nation’s response to the original Sputnik in 1957 was the passage of the National Defense Education Act (NDEA) of 1958 that produced a generation of scientists, engineers, and other leaders who laid the foundation for the economic success we experienced in the past half century.

While our nation today must make a similar investment in education at all levels, investment in graduate education is crucial.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2018 more jobs will require people with graduate degrees, specifically an 18% increase in jobs requiring a master’s degree and a 17% increase for people with doctoral degrees.  

Our competitiveness in the global economy hinges on our ability to produce sufficient numbers of graduate degree holders – people with the advanced knowledge and critical thinking abilities to address challenges we currently face as well as those we cannot even imagine today.

Governments around the world are investing in graduate education as a key component of innovation and competitiveness.  Europe already produces more doctorates in science and engineering than are produced in the U.S.  China and India are making substantial investments in their graduate education systems.

The President also addressed the issue of international talent – those students from other countries who come to the U.S. to pursue their graduate studies.  We strongly support immigration reforms that will enable international students who receive graduate degrees from U.S. institutions to remain after graduation and contribute to our economy. 

U.S. graduate education is a strategic national asset that must be supported as a key component of our research and innovation enterprise.  We look forward to working with the Administration and Congress to craft policies that encourage more students to pursue and complete graduate degrees.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) is reporting that offers of admission from U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased 11% from 2010 to 2011 after an increase of 3% last year.  The 11% gain is the largest increase in offers of admission since 2006. 

The survey report on admissions trends, released today, shows that the growth was driven substantially by a 23% increase in offers of admission to prospective students from China, the sixth year in a row of double-digit gains.  Offers of admission to students from the Middle East and Turkey rose 16%, the fourth consecutive year of significant growth.  Students from India saw an 8% increase, the first gain since 2007, and offers of admission to prospective South Korean students remained flat after four consecutive years of declines. 

“While the growth in admissions is driven in large part by increases from China, it also reflects a broader trend as evidenced by strong numbers from the Middle East and India and a stabilization in the numbers from South Korea,” said Debra W. Stewart, CGS President.  “This kind of strong growth in international student applications and admissions is a real testament to the quality of our graduate institutions in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” she added.

Large institutions (in terms of the number of graduate degrees awarded to international students) continue to drive more of the growth in international offers of admission than those awarding smaller numbers of graduate degrees to international students.  Respondents from the larger institutions showed slightly stronger increases: 13% at the 10 largest, 12% at the 100 largest, and 10% at the institutions outside the largest 100.

Admissions trends by field and institution type

The changes in offers of admission to prospective international students vary by field of study and institution type.  Admissions increased in all eight broad fields. The largest increases were

seen in business (16%) and physical & earth sciences (15%) while social sciences & psychology saw the smallest increase at 3%.  Offers of admission increased at nearly the same rate at both private, not-for-profit institutions (12%) and public institutions (11%). 

Admissions trends by region

Offers of admission by U.S. graduate schools to prospective international students increased in all four major regions of the United States this year.  The West saw the most growth (13%), the South and Midwest both increased 11%, and the Northeast grew 10%.

Comparison of Applications and Admissions trends

In addition to admissions trends, the report also tracks applications; this year the increases in applications were similar to gains in offers of admission.  The survey found a final 11% increase in international graduate applications for fall 2011, with large increases in applications from China (21%) and the Middle East and Turkey (16%), along with India (8%).  Applications from South Korea grew 2% after remaining flat in 2010.

About the report

Findings from the 2011 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase II: Final Applications and Initial Offers of Admission is based on the second phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrollment among CGS U.S. member institutions.  The survey had a response rate of 49%, including 79 of the 100 institutions that award the largest number of graduate degrees to international students.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, D.C.  ̶  The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has been awarded a 3-year grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to examine completion and attrition among underrepresented minorities in STEM doctoral programs.  The nearly $1.5 million grant will be used to study differences between Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) and non-AGEP institutions in order to better understand the factors that promote successful completion and the policies and practices that hold promise for increasing completion and reducing attrition.

“We know that attrition rates from doctoral programs average between 40-50%, and minorities tend to complete at even lower rates.  Institutions are strongly motivated to reduce attrition but it isn’t clear which interventions make the most difference for minority students,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart.  She added, “This project is vitally important because a robust STEM workforce is essential to a competitive economy.  This new grant will provide information on how best to support these graduate students in diverse contexts so that they successfully complete their doctoral programs, and are fully acculturated in the norms and cultures of their disciplines and capable of mentoring and teaching the next generation of researchers.”    

NSF’s AGEP program is intended to increase the representation of minorities in STEM doctoral education, and ultimately in the academic workforce.  Previous evaluations of the AGEP program have indicated that the numbers of underrepresented minority students enrolling in STEM doctoral programs have increased over time at AGEP institutions, but it is not clear which interventions have the most potential to positively impact doctoral completion rates for underrepresented minority students.

“The AGEP program is quite interested in interventions that would increase the number of students from underrepresented groups completing doctoral education.  Learning from this award will facilitate the development of models that can be adapted by other institutions,” said Dr. Jessie DeAro, AGEP Program Officer at NSF.  She continued, “CGS is well positioned to accomplish this study and to disseminate the findings, and thus increase the impact of AGEP throughout the graduate education community.”

Building on previous research on Ph.D. and master’s completion and attrition, CGS will investigate in more detail the experiences of underrepresented minorities in STEM doctoral programs. Twenty institutions will be selected through a competitive process to provide completion and attrition data for all underrepresented minority students entering all STEM doctoral programs from 1992-93 through 2011-12. Participating institutions will administer surveys to underrepresented minority students, provide detailed data on activities and initiatives that may have affected completion and attrition rates, and facilitate access to faculty, administrators, and students during site visits designed to collect in-depth information on program policies, practices, and climate, and the perceived impact of these factors on completion and attrition.

The research findings from this project will provide a rich and compelling portrait of the experiences, academic progress, stumbling blocks, and perceptions of underrepresented minorities enrolled in STEM doctoral programs in a variety of AGEP and non-AGEP institutions across the nation.

Contact:
Belle Woods
bwoods@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

The University of Hong Kong
Anna Wong, Graduate School
annaw@hkucc.hku.hk
(852) 2517-6382 

Hong Kong (September 28, 2011) – Higher education leaders from 16 countries agreed today to a statement of principles to strengthen and create pathways from graduate school to careers.

The agreement was reached after discussions at the Fifth Annual Strategic Leaders Global Summit, “Career Outcomes for Graduate Students: Tracking and Building Pathways,” jointly sponsored and hosted by the U.S.-based Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and The University of Hong Kong (HKU). The Global Summit is an annual event designed to promote international best practices on a pressing topic in master’s and doctoral education.

The focus on career outcomes was prompted by several parallel trends:

• Academic institutions are seeking to enhance the professional skills and career outcomes of graduate students due to increasing student demand for career development opportunities.
• Governments are working to strengthen the link between graduate training and workforce development in the competitive global economy.
• Employers are joining national and global conversations about skills needed to succeed and expectations they have for graduates.

Many universities have begun developing their own methods of tracking graduates’ career pathways and to establish programs that prepare students to adapt to new and evolving career demands.  The summit featured sessions on creating institutional cultures that value career and professional development, defining new areas of professional skill, the role of programs and faculty in supporting student careers, global trends shaping careers and professional needs, and opportunities for global collaboration.

"Thirty-five university and graduate school leaders have come together at this Summit to provide a much-needed roadmap for supporting the next generation of leaders and practitioners in our knowledge-based society,” said Professor Paul K.H. Tam, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Research) and Dean of the Graduate School at The University of Hong Kong. “It is timely and exciting for the University of Hong Kong, which is celebrating her first 100 years of  existence, to co-host this important international forum with the Council of Graduate Schools.”

During the final session, participants reached consensus on a set of principles intended to serve as a framework for establishing and exchanging best practices in tracking career outcomes for graduate students and enhancing their preparation for a wide variety of careers, both in the participants’ home countries and via international networks.

“Once again, the Global Summit has yielded a diverse set of best practice strategies that will inspire new efforts to enhance the experiences of (post)graduate students,” stated CGS President Debra Stewart. “While there are significant differences among national and regional approaches to enhancing career outcomes for (post)graduate students, this year’s summit participants have demonstrated strong collective support for initiatives that make career preparation a more integral part of graduate education.”

The 35 participants included deans and other leaders of graduate schools and representatives of national and international associations devoted to graduate education. Along with Hong Kong and the United States, the countries represented were: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, South Africa, and South Korea.

The Principles, guidelines for organization practice, are attached.

Previous Strategic Leaders Global Summits focused on international collaboration in graduate education (Banff, 2007 and San Francisco, 2009) promoting scholarly and research integrity (Florence, 2008); and measuring quality in graduate education and research (Brisbane, 2010). A report based upon the proceedings will be forthcoming in 2012.