In China, Up To 50K Students Majoring In Geology: Fewer Than 500 US Graduates In 2004

[hatrack]

At the recent annual convention of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)] I had the pleasure of spending some time with a delightful man named Mr. Wang, from an institution called the "University of Geoscience" in Wuhan, China. Mr. Wang is a marine geologist, and teaches the subject at the university level. He is very smart, as I rapidly discerned after we sat down next to each other on a bus, and during a field trip to look at the rocks of the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Mr. Wang and I discussed numerous subjects of a geological nature, subjects of which he has an excellent grasp, in both English and Chinese. Here is some of what we discussed.

..."So," I asked, "can you give me some idea of how many students are studying geology in China today?" Mr. Wang thought for a moment. "If you add it all up," he said, "there are about 40,000 or 50,000 students studying geology in China today at the university level..."

...Are you impressed yet, dear readers? 50,000 students are studying geology in China today. That number is well over 25 times the number of college students who are studying geology in the U.S., which includes foreign students enrolled at U.S. institutions, and that is after something of a surge in enrollments in geoscience departments in the past two or three years. Back in 2004, according to statistics published by the U.S. National Science Foundation, there were fewer than 500 degrees granted in geology and petroleum engineering by all U.S. universities combined, and about half of those degrees were awarded to foreign nationals. The Chinese have 100 times that number in the pipeline.

...China's massive educational effort to train geologists and related scientific personnel for the future indicates a national desire to, on the one hand, adopt the best scientific knowledge of the West. Yet China also intends, in its own unique way, to be among the civilizations that remain on any list of survivors compiled by any Arnold Toynbee of the future.

EDIT

http://www.energybulletin.net/28929.html

[The_Casual_Observer]

1. Americans study sports physical therapy & scriptwriting.

The important stuff.

[Tempest]

2. Just the stuff the American Taliban wants students to study

Can't have any of that science mumbo-jumbo in our classrooms.

[hatrack]

3. Yes, students might start asking questions and using logic . . .

And we can't have that, now can we?

[The_Casual_Observer]

5. I think it is has more to do with what pays after college & in the future.

The USA places absolutely no value in sciences. You're better off learning how to do motivational speaking seminars or personal training for trust funders.

[Tempest]

7. After watching afternoon TV this weekend

It seems the only things that pay are buying and selling real estate and playing the stock market.

Assuming you buy into the program the hucksters in the infocommercials are hocking.

[pnwmom]

6. Science and engineering jobs are moving offshore too, and it's not because of

lack of trained scientists here. It's because they're cheaper in other countries.

Look at what's happening in the computer industry. Trained computer people with years of experience are let go, while the industry keeps insisting that we don't have enough new graduates and need to raise the VISA quotas. Why pay experienced people more money, when you can hire recent graduates for less? Who cares what country they come from?

At least a physical therapist here is doing work that can't be moved offshore. I'd be happy if one of my sons went in that direction. He would probably still have a career in a couple of decades. With engineers or scientists, who knows.

P.S. There are two engineers in our family. I'm not against science; I just think some of this talk about shortages is really an excuse for more off-shoring.

[ramapo]

8. All talk, no jobs

I've long contended that the hype on studying science and math in school is just that...hype. Science jobs are few and far between and those who obtain degrees in the sciences get little respect. We are a country of idiots. Oh yes...since there's not much incentive to major in science, not many do, so then we get to import the knowledge. Unbelievable.

[pnwmom]

9. We have a friend who's a PhD organic chemist,

and his company just lopped off his division. He had a heck of a time finding another position, and they finally had to move across the country.

[ramapo]

10. Seen it for years

We place computer consultants. I can't tell you the number of resumes that have passed over my desk of individuals with amazing backgrounds in the sciences who became programmers, etc. because they couldn't get jobs in their field. Of course, I don't have to tell you what became of their programming jobs.

[pnwmom]

11. Maybe they'll finally start to wake up when the Wall Street jobs

start to disappear.

[Botany]

4. Ohio State graduates that many lawyers in a few years (500)

The dumbing down of America is on a roll.

[phantom power]

12. The question on my mind is: what will those 50K geologists be looking for?

[Botany]

13. My bet

Water

Hydrogeology?