NEW YORK, Oct. 11(Xinhuanet)-- US students lack sufficient knowledge about other world regions, languages and cultures and are in danger of being handicapped in an increasingly interconnected and global economy, according to surveys released on Tuesday.

The surveys, conducted by Asia Society and the National Geographic Society show a huge gap in most students' knowledge about the growing importance of Asia and other world regions to the nation's economic prosperity and national security.

"The status quo is tantamount to a kind of educational isolationism," said Dr. Michael Levine, Executive Director of Education at the Asia Society.

"Understanding foreign languages and cultures are essential to managing risk, producing products attractive to the rest of the world and the skill to market them effectively. In an interconnected world where security, competitiveness and democratic leadership depend on purposeful engagement, our nation must take urgent action to ensure that our international knowledgeand language expertise is second to none," he said.

He cited the example that US schools are largely unprepared to meet the growing demand brought about by the rise of China for Chinese language speakers across business and social sectors, and handicapped by a lack of qualified teachers, programs or creative uses of modern educational technologies.

But he noted that while many schools are behind the curve on their international content, some pioneering work in internationalstudies programs is already underway.

The Asia Society, in partnership with the Goldman Sachs Foundation, is currently reviewing more than 475 international studies programs from school districts across the country, he said.

A preliminary review shows that from elementary school through high school, as well as university programs, the level of educatorinterest in international studies and the creativity of the programs is clearly growing, he added.

Unfortunately, the benefits of such programs to millions of students who know very little about the 90 percent of the world outside US borders are squandered because of a lack of resources for replication, said a report by the Asia Society.

To help address this knowledge gap, the Asia Society and the Goldman Sachs Foundation are conducting a nationwide review to identify recipients of the Goldman Sachs Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education.

A total of 125,000 dollars will be awarded to schools and otherorganizations that have developed innovative programs to promote international learning.

According to Levine, many of the K-16 model international educational programs that Asia Society and the Goldman Sachs Foundation have reviewed show tremendous creativity in promoting rich, engaging instruction and promoting the new skills students need now more than ever.

The Asia Society is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to fostering understanding of Asia and communication between Americans and the peoples of Asia and the Pacific. The Goldman Sachs Foundation is a global philanthropic organizations funded by the Goldman Sachs Group, Inc with a mission to promote excellence and innovation in education. Enditem