From October 30 - November 6, 2010, the Salzburg Global Seminar conducted a meeting of the Mellon Fellow Community Initiative (MFCI) entitled, Colleges and Universities as Sites of Global Citizenship.

With the generous support of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this ongoing, multi-year program works with select colleges that are either Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) or members of the Appalachian College Association (ACA) to bring more comprehensive institutional approaches to global education at and among the participating institutions. MFCI partners will develop and implement projects that bring broader global perspectives to their classrooms, campuses, and communities. Ultimately, MFCI partners will be able to better prepare students to pursue ethical and productive lives and careers in an ever-changing and globalized world. The meeting in October/November convened 10 new partner MFCI institutions which join twenty-six MFCI partners who attended Salzburg Global Seminar sessions as part of the first and second cohorts.

Colleges and universities are vital institutions for addressing political, social, and economic concerns, be they at a local, national, or global level. While embedded in their communities, they contribute substantially to a nation's competitiveness and operate within an increasingly international environment that links people and institutions together across borders. Colleges and universities are arguably the most resilient and the most sustainable institutions not only for advancing modernization and prosperity but also for ensuring the foundation and continuance of civil society. As such, they are gateways into a future that is in our own hands.

Thanks to Chris Migliaccio from Miami Dade College for the photo of the globe.