Cisco Seeks Talent Abroad

Forbes reports on Cisco Systems:

"We originally came to India for the [low] cost. We stayed because of the quality, and now we're investing because of the innovation," says Dan Scheinman, senior vice president of corporate development. He notes that India's universities are churning out tens of thousands of engineers, many of whom used to come to the U.S. after graduating, but who are now choosing to stay at home.

Cisco, which has less than 5% of its global workforce in India, didn't want to miss out. Scheinman says the country is producing an "incredible number of engineers who are building some of the world's most advanced networks and applications," led by broadband and mobile applications.

That throws a harsh light on the dwindling number of young Americans going into the sciences and helps explain why U.S. companies are looking elsewhere to stay competitive.

By the 12th grade, American students trail nearly every other developed nation in math and science ability. Indeed, the U.S. produces just 6% of the world's bachelor's degrees in engineering each year. South Korea, with one-sixth of the population, manages to churn out the same number of engineering degrees.

Do you think the Chicago Public schools are ready for the future?