The American Council of Education released a report in hopes to better the American understanding of the Middle East in the post-Sept. 11 world. But MSU leaders say they didn’t need a report to figure that out.

“One of the reasons that we are so actively involved with study abroad is that we believe cultures that are not our own can lead to understanding,” Provost Lou Anna Simon said. “We do believe very strongly that international exposure and understanding is important.”

The report, “Beyond September 11: A Comprehensive National Policy on International Education,” was released in early May and suggests that if there were more people fluent in the languages and cultures of the Middle East, the United States might have seen the attacks coming.

The MSU Study Abroad program is the largest in the nation, and hosts about six programs in the Middle East.

Most of those programs have been suspended indefinitely due to violence in the region.

“I think that, in part, it was the understanding and the compassion of the Middle Eastern culture that permitted us as an MSU community to pass this act not as a cultural act but an individual act,” Simon said. “It prevents the hatred to be generalized across the people, but it can’t necessarily prevent the act.”

The report outlines three guidelines for international education: produce international experts and knowledge to address national strategic needs, strengthen the ability for the United States. to solve global problems, and develop a competent workforce that can understand these needs.

“We hope it’ll begin the discussion and lay the foundation for Congress,” said Paul Hassen, American Council of Education spokesman.

He said the purpose of the policy is to create a bridge between the federal government and higher education to fill a near-empty pool of international experts.

Not only will the workforce be used for conducting foreign policy, but the government needs people to teach future generations about a broader range of international regions, Hassen said.

That means outside traditional French, Spanish and German courses.

Arabic Professor Balla Malik agrees that a workforce of knowledgeable people to aid in foreign relations is important.

“The more they become competent, the more likely they won’t lose the language. It will help the country more.”

Psychology senior Andrea Staskiewicz said colleges offering more languages and cultural studies courses could be beneficial.

“We should be aware of the world at large, not just Europe,” she said.

Staff writers Kurt Ludke and Antonio Planas contributed to this report.