Dear Colleagues and Students:

Recent tragic events in India are a reminder of how small our world has become and how — even when distance and language may set us apart — we’re tied to the citizens of other nations through both our common problems and our common hopes for a better, more peaceful world. This need for a deepened understanding that transcends nationality, economic status, religion and political belief has been on my mind a great deal the last two weeks, having just returned from a trade mission with Governor Ritter to China and Japan. That trip focused on opportunities in renewable energy that include enhanced collaborative relationships between Colorado institutions and partner universities in Asia, collaborations that represent the sort of partnerships centered around a common concern that stand in stark contrast to approaches of isolation and fear that lead to violence. The trip served as an important next step in our commitment to further strengthen our international activities and the opportunities available to our faculty and students.

Colorado State has a long, rich history of international connections, including such monumental examples as our long-term water project in Egypt, which involved people and departments from across the University. Almost since its founding, CSU’s community has been enriched by the presence of international students and scholars; at present, more than 1,200 international students and scholars from more than 90 countries study and work in Fort Collins. Also today, CSU programs carry on significant research activities in other countries, which bolster our institutional reputation and reinforce our research and service missions. Even after so many years on our campus, I am continually surprised to discover the number of CSU faculty already working closely with international colleagues on research and scholarship of great importance, often doing so independently and without a great deal of assistance or encouragement from the institution.

We are now working to reinvigorate our international presence under the leadership of Vice Provost Jim Cooney, with an emphasis on increasing our international research collaborations, student and faculty exchanges, and building critical relationships with faculty and institutions in all parts of the world. I encourage you to familiarize yourselves with the internationalization plan he and others have developed, which aims to make it easier for faculty and students to become involved in international programs, studies, and exchanges. Full internationalization plan

Our hope is to build on Colorado State’s long, rich history of international involvement to strengthen our connections with people and institutions around the globe — for the benefit of our students, our society as a whole, and the other societies with whom we share space on our globe. I want to invite you to review the plan, see if there are opportunities we’re missing, and consider how you might become involved.

It’s also my hope that each of you will enjoy some well-deserved rest and relaxation after finals week and over the holiday break.

With best wishes
tony

Dr. Tony Frank
Interim President