The Global Innovation Forum of the National Foreign Trade Council organized a discussion and lunch in partnership with The University of Texas at Austin, the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and the Partnership for a New American Economy to explore policy issues surrounding the ability of the United States to attract and retain top global talent, particularly students, entrepreneurs, researchers and high-skilled workers. The purpose was to convene students, faculty, entrepreneurs and business voices to understand how current policies affect the business and education communities to inform better the debate surrounding high-skilled immigration and global mobility policies in Washington.
The conference was held to engage business and education leaders in the region in a dialogue about the importance of public policy to innovation, and drew out a discussion of how the American Government and educational system can help enhance the ability of foreign-born individuals to contribute to the U.S. economy.
Roundtable agenda
9:30am Registration and coffee
9:55am Welcome and goals for the meeting
William Reinsch, President, National Foreign Trade Council
Drew Scheberle, Senior Vice President, Talent and Workforce Development, Austin Chamber of Commerce
10:00am The impact of U.S. visa and immigration policies on
American businesses and entrepreneurs
Discussants:
Rose Jennings, Director, Employment Law, AMD
Chetan Kapoor, CEO and Founder, Agile Planet, Inc.
Ting Shen, Co-founder and CEO, NanoLite Systems, Inc.
Moderated by: Jake Colvin, Vice President, National Foreign Trade Council
11:00am The impact of visa and immigration policies on innovation,
research and life in university communities
Discussants:
Columbia Mishra, PhD Candidate, Mechanical Engineering; President, Graduate Student Assembly; The University of Texas at Austin
Jeremi Suri, Professor; Mack Brown Distinguished Chair for Leadership in Global Affairs, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin
Andrew Thorley, Assistant Director, International Student and Scholar Services, International Office, The University of Texas at Austin
Moderated by: Ryan Erickson, Director of Political Research, Partnership for a New American Economy
12:15pm Luncheon and discussion
Featuring remarks about “The impact of U.S. immigration and visa policies on U.S. national interests” by Admiral Bob Inman.
Introduction by: Erika Sumner, Co-Founder, Social Good TV; Innovation & Community Advocate
