Attended Engineering School with a lot of students from the Far and Middle East...Off topic, but that is a scary statement. My two sons had the same experience in their respective engineering schools. In fact, one was goaded into going for his PhD in Engineering by an Egyptian prof who pointed out that there are hardly any American males in the engineering progrms anywhere any more. Now, do you wonder why our technological edge is slipping overseas?
Very few Americans in the engineering graduate programs in this country. I think part of the problem is engineers with just an undergrad degree can do so well in the US the payoff for an advanced degree isn't enough to justify the additional time and expense. I've heard American engineering profs lamenting the very thing you just mentioned.