Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Last week, I had the great honor to be among a selected group of University presidents invited by the federal government to attend the Higher Education Summit for Global Development at the State Department in Washington, D.C. The goal of the summit, which was held April 29-30, was to expand the role and impact of higher education institutions worldwide in social and economic development.

Susan Cole from Montclair State University and I were the only two New Jersey presidents among the approximately 100 U.S. college presidents, along with representatives from 90 foreign universities and colleges and 40 leaders from business, foundations and nongovernmental organizations.  

I was very honored to be invited to this important summit, but my selection really illustrates the growing importance and distinction of Fairleigh Dickinson in the higher education community. In fact, this was the second time the federal government had invited us for such a conference. The first, in 2006, featured the unveiling of President George Bush’s National Security Language Initiative.

This year’s summit was in some respects a follow-up to that earlier event, although the focus this time was on stimulating collaborations among educational institutions, business, the government and philanthropic foundations to support economic growth and help solve global challenges. Senior administration officials who spoke included Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and Henrietta Fore, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, which was a key organizer of the summit.

Many officials discussed the importance of education in an increasingly connected world and the need for American universities to provide training that can help developing nations build their economies. The summit included presentations on innovative approaches to international education and sessions on such topics on using open courseware abroad, training scientists and engineers abroad, developing a global public health infrastructure and using videoconferencing to enhance international collaborations.

I was honored to represent our institution, and I thank you for everything you are doing to enhance our reputation. I continue to find that individuals from the government and from institutions around the world recognize, respect and admire FDU — both our vision and our programs.

Thank you,
Michael Adams