§1901 — Title 50 War and National Defense | U.S. Code

Summary

Names the law the "David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991" and explains why the United States needs better international education. It says U.S. security depends on being a world leader, using political, economic, and military strengths. After the Cold War, new threats grew, like more economic competition, regional fights, terrorism, and spread of weapons. The law says America’s future safety and prosperity will depend on people who know other languages and cultures. The federal government needs employees ready for these changes, and many college students are not prepared. Colleges must improve teaching in foreign languages, area studies, counterproliferation studies, and other international fields. Sets clear goals: provide funding and flexibility to meet national security education needs; increase the amount, variety, and quality of teaching and learning in key international subjects; create more applicants for government jobs with national security duties; broaden Americans’ international experience and knowledge; and let the federal government support international education.

Title 50, §1901

War and National Defense — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)This chapter may be cited as the “David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991”.

(b)The Congress makes the following findings:

(1)The security of the United States is and will continue to depend on the ability of the United States to exercise international leadership.

(2)The ability of the United States to exercise international leadership is, and will increasingly continue to be, based on the political and economic strength of the United States, as well as on United States military strength around the world.

(3)Recent changes in the world pose threats of a new kind to international stability as Cold War tensions continue to decline while economic competition, regional conflicts, terrorist activities, and weapon proliferations have dramatically increased.

(4)The future national security and economic well-being of the United States will depend substantially on the ability of its citizens to communicate and compete by knowing the languages and cultures of other countries.

(5)The Federal Government has an interest in ensuring that the employees of its departments and agencies with national security responsibilities are prepared to meet the challenges of this changing international environment.

(6)The Federal Government also has an interest in taking actions to alleviate the problem of American undergraduate and graduate students being inadequately prepared to meet the challenges posed by increasing global interaction among nations.

(7)American colleges and universities must place a new emphasis on improving the teaching of foreign languages, area studies, counterproliferation studies, and other international fields to help meet those challenges.

(c)The purposes of this chapter are as follows:

(1)To provide the necessary resources, accountability, and flexibility to meet the national security education needs of the United States, especially as such needs change over time.

(2)To increase the quantity, diversity, and quality of the teaching and learning of subjects in the fields of foreign languages, area studies, counterproliferation studies, and other international fields that are critical to the Nation’s interest.

(3)To produce an increased pool of applicants for work in the departments and agencies of the United States Government with national security responsibilities.

(4)To expand, in conjunction with other Federal programs, the international experience, knowledge base, and perspectives on which the United States citizenry, Government employees, and leaders rely.

(5)To permit the Federal Government to advocate the cause of international education.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1998—Subsecs. (b)(7), (c)(2). Pub. L. 105–272 inserted “counterproliferation studies,” after “area studies,”. 1992—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 102–496 amended subsec. (a) generally, inserting “David L. Boren”.

§1901 Short Title, Findings, and Purposes

Summary

Title 50, §1901

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Citations & Metadata