US Universities Reaching Abroad

I just read an interesting New York Times article entitled U.S. Universities Rush to Set Up Outposts Abroad Apparently, exchange programs, shared degree programs, and research partnerships are no longer innovative. The trend now is universities, even state schools like Michigan State, building branch campuses in foreign countries such as China, Singapore, and India. But the article describes why there is particular interest (and some controversy) about setting up shop in the Middle East.