Foreign Academics Won't Give Up on the American Dream

"As someone born in Bosnia without a U.S. college degree, I would never have been made a university president in Japan, Italy or even Canada,"

"I don't have that traditional academic pedigree required by some countries. I didn't study at Harvard-I have a 'Japanese Harvard' Ph.D., but who really cares about my Japanese degree-nor have I been a provost or dean at a big U.S. university,"

"But American universities don't care if you studied in Italy or Serbia-they are only focused on excellence in science and innovation, which means 'what is your h-index?,' 'where have you published?' and 'how many people have you brought with you on your journey?'"

Radenka Maric, president of the University of Connecticut since February 2022, argues that U.S. universities prioritize measurable research excellence over traditional academic pedigree. Maric’s international career spans seven countries, with a Ph.D. from Kyoto University, research work at Toyota, leadership at the National Research Council Canada, and a Fulbright visiting professorship in Italy. She joined Connecticut in 2010, became vice president for research in 2017, and ascended to president in 2022. Maric maintains that metrics like h-index, publication record, and the ability to build research teams drive U.S. hiring, making the U.S. uniquely attractive to global scholars.

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