The mission of the Fred J. Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation is to create an international community of young scholars with a shared goal of a more peaceful future. The Fred J. Hansen Summer Institute on Leadership and International Cooperation, established as a result of the generosity and foresight of Fred J. Hansen, has hosted six Institutes. The first years 2007-09 at San Diego State University and most recently at the University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences. 
Fred Hansen came to the United States from Denmark at the age of ten. He settled in the San Diego area and was among those who developed the first major avocado orchards in the region. Foreign travel convinced Mr. Hansen that if adversary nations could be encouraged to work together on projects of mutual benefit, this activity could help heal their differences. Mr. Hansen designated a portion of his estate to support this conviction.