50 U.S.C. § 1901: Short title, findings, and purposes

This chapter may be cited as the “David L. Boren National Security Education Act of 1991”. The security of the United States is and will continue to depend on the ability of the United States to exercise international leadership. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. To produce an increased pool of applicants for work in the departments and agencies of the United States Government with national security responsibilities. 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. To permit the Federal Government to advocate the cause of international education.