Over 350 MSU faculty, staff, administrators, graduate and undergraduate students, visiting international scholars and professionals, and emeriti faculty attended Global Encounter on April 20, 2006, in the Breslin Center. About half of the participants were faculty members. A broad cross-section of the university was represented, including all 14 colleges, plus the libraries and a variety of centers and administrative units. Numerous deans and department chairs also attended.

Hosted by Provost Kim Wilcox and organized by the Office of International Studies and Programs, Global Encounter was designed as a first step toward identifying strategic countries/regions, partners, and programmatic themes where the university can have transformational impacts in the decades ahead.

The event, which was highly interactive and participatory, brought together colleagues from wide-ranging educational units who shared similar country/regional or programmatic interests. The day's energy and excitement was palpable and it was literally possible to view the developing synergies. The interaction was the greatest outcome as old friendships were renewed and new personal and working relationships were forged.

A great amount of discussion focused on MSU and how we work with the world. A major outcome of Global Encounter was that participants were very focused on the process for future international engagement. That is, they expressed concern about developing truly bilateral agreements that assure mutual give and take between MSU and partner institutions and other constituencies, covering research, teaching and engagement, and marked by respect for the potential contributions from each institution and group. Although numerous long-range goals for MSU's international involvement were suggested, further focus and refinement will take place over the next several months as the offices of the Provost and International Studies and Programs review the vast amount of data collected through the Global Encounter process.

In the meantime, the MSU Community can continue to engage in the deliberation by logging on to http://www.isp.msu.edu/globalencounter/ and reviewing the input from 20 April and submitting additional comments. Also, additional "encounters" will be convened to focus on specific world sub-regions/countries and themes.

• Report Out from Areas/Countries with Input from the Entire Group
• Area/Country Group Reports- Morning Session
• Area/Country Group Reports- Afternoon Session