[Jessica Boucher]

Though not directly FIRST-related, it is something we've heard in speeches in the past few years.

Researchers at Duke University found that about 225,925 engineers graduate from American universities annually, about three times the number—70,000—typically cited by the National Academies and the media. The academies include the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council.

India, which has become a growing tech center, particularly for outsourcing many operations of U.S. firms, produces about 215,000 engineers a year, the study found. That’s far fewer than the 350,000 figure frequently cited by the press and the National Academies.

China mints about 644,106 engineering graduates, the study reported, using figures from the Chinese government. Although the figure is in line with recent reports, Duke researcher Vivek Wadhwa believes those numbers may be overstated.

Mr. Wadhwa said China does not specify whether the figure represents only graduates from four-year degree programs and does not provide a way to corroborate its figures. He added that he believes the number of annual engineering graduates in the Middle Kingdom is closer to 300,000.

The whole article is here: http://www.redherring.com/Article.as...Undercount ed