181. Memorandum From the Director, Office of Policy and Plans, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Department of State (Roth) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (Richardson)1
SUBJECT
- Activation of the Subcommittee on International Exchange
I suggest that we aim for the first organizational meeting of the Subcommittee on International Exchange on or about November 20. The following action must be taken before that time:
1. Approval of the attached draft invitation, agenda and functional statement for the committee.
2. Distribution of these papers by November 13. We should probably allow about a week before meeting date to assure that the agency principals can attend.
Organization of the work of the Subcommittee
The major projects of the Subcommittee on International Exchange should be carried out by working groups drawn from the participating agencies. Some of these groups should be permanent, others should be established to undertake a specific project and abolished at the completion of the project.
To assure the orderly handling of the work of the Subcommittee on Exchanges, I would recommend the establishment of a Working Group on Agenda and Project Coordination to allow all agencies a voice in the preparation of agenda; to assure that assignments are [Page 468] carried out; and to clarify the issues and recommendations for review and approval by the Senior Group. It would be formed of a staff level person designated by each agency, to be chaired by the Director, CU/OPP.
Another permanent Working Group that should be established at the first meeting is a Science Agency Working Group to be chaired by a representative of the Science Advisor’s Office (OST). The sixteen science or science related agencies outlined in the study should be asked in a letter from you to relate to the Subcommittee’s work through the Working Group.
I believe that these are the only working groups that should be established at the first meeting. The Agenda and Project Coordination Working Group should meet before the second Subcommittee meeting to prepare study outlines and submit for review and approval a priority listing of work tasks to be undertaken.
Subcommittee Work Projects
The following projects are required by NSDM 143:
(1) Developments of methods for obtaining data from government agencies on the outgoing American participants in exchange programs for inclusion in the data bank.
(2) Establishment of methods and procedures for reviewing the total budget request of all U.S. Government agencies in the exchange field to permit recommendations regarding resource allocation for this area of government activity. This should also permit identification of leadership groups where new programs or selective increase in old programs may be required.
(3) In addition, the October 30 memorandum from Dr. Kissinger2 directs that the Committee undertake the study recommended by the IAYC of the relative distribution of government funds devoted to support of governmentally sponsored versus privately-sponsored foreign students studying in the U.S.
Other projects that require early attention are:
(1) Continuation of the field work of the study on Brazil and/or West Germany to determine methods for obtaining parallel coordination overseas to that of the Subcommittee.
(2) A review of the spectrum of scientific disciplines included in the programs of the sixteen science agencies.
These projects should be started relatively soon after the establishment of the Committee so that working relations and a general sense [Page 469] of purpose on the part of Committee members can develop. However, to establish the value of the Committee to all members care should be exercised in the choice of topic studied so that the benefits of coordination can be recognized by all agencies at the outset rather than joining some of the more difficult issues that can be better handled after the committee has developed a set of operating relationships.
CU Staff Support to the Subcommittee
The Committee offers the opportunity for CU to gain a broader knowledge of what is being done in all “exchange activities” throughout the Government. The Committee’s activities should provide opportunities for CU staff members to participate in studies with people from other Government agencies. Therefore, I believe that the work of the Committee should be integrated into the work of the Bureau insofar as practical, and should not be isolated from ongoing day-to-day activities. (The former Federal Interagency Council suffered from this isolation, and its activities had little effect on total Bureau work, which generally is thought of only as moving CU grantees).
I propose the establishment of a small unit in OPP, headed by the Deputy Director of OPP who will have the title, Secretary to the Subcommittee on International Exchange, assisted by four officers and one secretary to fill positions granted in the 1973 budget. This group should handle the staff support and paper work activities carried out by all parts of the Committee structure. Responsibility for the data bank required by NSDM 143 would be centered in CU/EX, where the Government-wide system can be developed in relation to information systems for the CU Bureau. Talent in this area is difficult to find, and the two activities can easily fit together.
If you approve, we will proceed to prepare for the Committee’s work along these lines.
Let’s Discuss3
- Source: National Archives, RG 306, Office of the Director, Office of Public Information, Records Relating to a Study of International Exchange Programs, 1970–1975, Entry A1–37, Box 1, 143—Committee Meetings. Confidential. Drafted by Roth; cleared by Hitchcock and Fox.↩
- See Document 180.↩
- Richardson initialed his approval and placed a checkmark before his initials.↩