UND professor first in ND to be named Council on Foreign Relations Education Ambassador
Francisco Del Canto Viterale, associate professor of Space Studies, will share his expertise in global affairs as one of 80 higher education ambassadors
A UND faculty member has been named an ambassador to a prestigious international think tank – the first scholar representing North Dakota to achieve this honor.
Francisco Del Canto Viterale, associate professor of Space Studies, was recently selected to serve as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations’ (CFR) Education Ambassador Program.
Founded in 1921, the CFR is widely considered one of the most influential global affairs think tanks in the world. Its mission is to promote informed discourse – both among the public and policymakers – on issues of international relations and geopolitics.
The Education Ambassador Program serves as the CFR’s educational arm. Each academic year, a new cohort of 160 ambassadors – 80 high school educators and 80 higher education faculty members – is selected to serve eight-month terms.
“It is a huge honor to become a CFR higher education ambassador for one of the world’s most prestigious think tanks, and to contribute to the mission of promoting global affairs literacy within my community,” Del Canto Viterale said. “Being the first in North Dakota to receive this distinction is an additional honor and responsibility, and I am eager to help UND students make sense of the world around them.”
“In today’s interconnected global economy and geopolitical landscape, America’s interests are increasingly intertwined with those of other countries and their citizens,” he added. “To ensure that students understand and engage effectively in today’s interconnected world, it is essential that they be literate in global affairs.”
An expert in the intersection between the social sciences and Space Studies, Del Canto Viterale asserted that knowledge in one discipline is corollary to understanding the other.
“The 21st century is witnessing a new space age, with over 100 countries having space programs or engaging in space-related activities,” he said. “There are nearly 80 government space agencies and more than 10,000 space companies worldwide. Studying the policy, diplomatic, economic, and geopolitical aspects of the new space age provide our UND students with a unique perspective to fully understand the complex reality of space activities.”
As a CFR Education Ambassador, Del Canto Viterale will receive educational materials to supplement his curriculum and participate in professional development activities with members of his cohort.
“I am planning to be active in sharing the relevance and need to understand global issues and their connection with our own reality,” he said. “I plan to offer information sessions in my department of Space Studies, and to collaborate with other colleges and departments at UND and other educational institutions in North Dakota to provide these sessions, given the interdisciplinary nature of the international perspective.”
