Bassam Shakhashiri, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, who was assistant director for science and engineering education at the National Science Foundation from 1984 to 1990, contends that industry involvement in this effort is more than a welcome contribution; it is a necessity. "The business community must be involved intimately in the science education reform arena because they have expertise that academic communities can benefit from," he asserts. Shakhashiri says that this expertise ranges from "technical know-how" in science areas to management tools, such as strategic planning, that can be applied to the U.S. educational system.
He warns, however, that for any undertaking to be effective, U.S. educators have to be receptive to change and that change must be coordinated among all stakeholders, "not just the participation of the private sector."
One such effort in this movement took place last September in a conference entitled "Corporate ...
