Usd Welcomes Hansen Institute Fellows To Campus

25 Students from 20 Countries Studying Conflict Resolution and Economic Development

SAN DIEGO: Based at University of San Diego's School of Leadership and Education Sciences, 25 students (ages 20-25) from 20 different countries have been selected from more than 1,800 applications and 135 countries to come to San Diego for three weeks of practical training in conflict resolution and economic development. The Hansen Summer Institute (HSI) on Leadership and International Cooperation is an exciting international program funded by a generous grant from the Fred J. Hansen Foundation. 2017 marks the 10th year of the HSI on Leadership and International Cooperation, which has focused on training future political leaders and social entrepreneurs to tackle the world's most difficult problems. To date, 165 Hansen Alumni from 55 countries, have remained in contact, provided a network of support, and worked together on a number of social ventures funded by the Hansen Foundation.

“Hansen Fellows meet academic, political and business leaders, pitch projects and receive seed funding, and learn about the American way of life and business while here,” explains  Ron Bee, HSI’s managing director. “Most non-Americans in the program have not been to the U.S. before, and we believe that the bonds created in the World's Finest City will help create a better world for tomorrow."

The program provides a unique university-based leadership experience and program in international cooperation.  A primary goal of the program focuses on creating an international community of young scholars who will use their summer experience as a foundation for creating lasting friendships and acquiring common practical understanding of a more peaceful future.

Fellows receive hands-on training in team-building, public speaking, negotiation, mediation and working together to solve international problems. They learn to listen actively and to look for common interests and building realistic bridges of cooperation. Fellows meet and greet academic, political and business leaders to refine their own ideas and skills while learning about the "American Way of Life." Students leave San Diego with a "leadership toolbox" they can apply appropriately to their future challenges and endeavors. Participants have come from every corner of the globe, made life-long friendships and shaped their futures in a more positive direction. Click here to watch a video of the 2016 HSI fellows.

This year's institute runs from July 1-23.  On July 21, there will be presentations of social entrepreneurial projects (teams of 4 or 5 participants working together) from 1:30 to 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 to 4:45 p.m. in Mother Rosalie Hill Hall’s Room 102. Students will work with Center for Peace and Commerce and other mentors and coaches in order to present [or pitch] their projects.

For additional information on the Hansen Summer Institute, contact Ron Bee at (858) 354-6327.

About the University of San Diego

The University of San Diego sets the standard for an engaged, contemporary Catholic university where innovative Changemakers confront humanity’s urgent challenges. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. USD recently concluded our successful $317M Leading Change: The Campaign for USD, which represented the most ambitious fundraising effort in the history of the university. In September 2016, USD introduced Envisioning 2024, a strategic plan that capitalizes on the university’s recent progress and aligns new strategic goals with current strengths to help shape a vision for the future as the university looks ahead to its 75th anniversary in the year 2024.