About 109, 000 students came to the U.S. on the Summer Work Travel Program in 2011.

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The researchers, who spent nine months monitoring a work-from-home program at a 16, 000-employee Chinese travel agency, concluded that the lack of face time with bosses caused careers to stall.

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But that approach wouldn't work in a global program, since it's usually impractical for students to travel great distances that often.

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