Washington DC – The National Foreign Trade Council (NFTC) Foundation’s Global Innovation Forum held a pair of talks at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) on how current immigration policies affect the ability of the United States to attract and retain top talent, particularly students, entrepreneurs, researchers and high-skilled workers. The discussion, “The Impact of U.S. Immigration and Visa Policies on U.S. Competitiveness,” part of a yearlong series of forums held in partnership with major universities around the country on immigration under the theme of “Goodbye Global Innovators?,” kicked off at a dinner last night and was followed by a lunch conversation today.
These discussions were held as part of a broader immigration conference, titled “Immigration Reform: What’s Next?,” presented by the Immigration Law Association at UC Davis and supported by the NFTC.
“This was a unique opportunity to hear from students, faculty, and the broader UC-Davis community on how current policies impact American innovation, competitiveness and the overall economy,” said NFTC Vice President for Global Trade Issues Jake Colvin.
Business and university leaders, students and entrepreneurs from the region participated in the roundtable discussions. In addition to Jake Colvin, last night’s discussion was also led by Hanna Siegel, The Partnership for a New American Economy, and Anupam Chander, UC Davis School of Law. Other notable guests included:
- Jack Chin, UC Davis School of Law
- Rose Cuison Villazor, UC Davis School of Law
- Tulin Gurer, Journal of International Law & Policy
- Amandeep Kaur, Chancellor’s Graduate & Professional Student Advisory Board
- Aarti Kohli, National Immigration Law Center
- Jake LeRaul, Immigration Law Association
- Philip Martin, UC Comparative Immigration & Integration Program
- Christine Meeuwsen, Immigration Law Association
Today’s discussion featured Vivek Wadhwa, author of “The Immigrant Exodus: Why America Is Losing the Global Race to Capture Entrepreneurial Talent,” in addition to Jake Colvin, Hanna Siegel and Amandeep Kaur.
The NFTC Foundation’s Global Innovation Forum discussion series on immigration and American competitiveness is part of a national innovation initiative made possible by the GE Foundation. The series launched in March at Duke University, and will conclude on Wednesday, October 16, at the University of Colorado Boulder.
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About theThe Global Innovation Forum:
The National Foreign Trade Council was founded in 1914 and is the oldest and largest trade association devoted entirely to advocating an open, rules-based international trade system. NFTC promotes open markets and U.S. engagement in the world on behalf of its member companies, which include Abbvie, Caterpillar, eBay, General Electric, Hanes Brands, IBM, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Wal-Mart. The Global Innovation Forum is a project of NFTC’s educational arm, the NFTC Foundation, which brings together diverse groups of stakeholders to create a better understanding of how the innovation ecosystem and public policy can improve the lives of workers, families and communities
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About the NFTC
Advancing Global Commerce for Nearly A Century- The National Foreign Trade Council (www.nftc.org) is a leading business organization advocating an open, rules- based global trading system. Founded in 1914 by a broad-based group of American companies, the NFTC now serves hundreds of member companies through its offices in Washington and New York.
