The Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace was established by San Diego State University Research Foundation because of the generosity and foresight of Fred J. Hansen.

Mr. Hansen came to the United States from Denmark at the age of ten. Eventually 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.

San Diego State University Research Foundation received the first grant from the Fred J. Hansen Trust in 1979 and formed the Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace. Since then, the Hansen Institute has received annual grants, including a one-time grant in 1997 to establish the Fred J. Hansen Chair for Peace Studies at San Diego State University.

Over the years the money provided to the Hansen Institute has been used as “seed money” to develop important programs which have resulted in more than $52 million dollars in Agency for International Development (AID) and other sponsor funds to further the goals and objectives of the Hansen Institute.

International conferences and workshops sponsored by the Hansen Institute bring together scientists and technical experts from countries in conflict. Collaborative work is identified during these meetings, implementation funding is identified and proposals are prepared. These conferences serve as launching pads for larger scale programs. Seven Middle East programs were born out of such conferences involving hundreds of scientists who had not previously worked together. The largest programs have involved Egypt, Israel, Morocco, the Palestinian Authority, and Jordan. However, many other countries in the Middle East and South Asia have participated in Hansen Institute funded conferences, workshops and research studies.
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The Fred J. Hansen Institute for World Peace and The Peres Center for Peace (based in Tel Aviv) have launched a project pooling the knowledge of agricultural and water experts from Israel, the United States, Egypt, Jordon, Monocco, Palestine, Greece, Turkey, Italy, Macedonia and Switzerland. Their common interest is to improve the best practices for producing fresh and healthy Middle Eastern crops as olives, dates, almonds, grapes, tomatoes and potatoes. This requires excellent seed stock, proper soil cultivation, appropriate measures for plant protection and efficient water use. Once harvested, crops need to be moved to market in a timely fashion. Improved marketing and product innovations are key components of this project and to develop marketing techniques and new product market entry possibilities.

The following articles provide more in-depth information about the current activities of the Institute.

• 10th Anniversary of the Peres Center for Peace and the Peres Peace House Inaugural Activities

• International Panel
• Peres Arrival
• Pondering a Point
• Ramallah through the Glass
• World Peace Advocates

• "Marketing Middle East peace through the products offered in Western supermarkets"
• "A second-generation scholar promotes food's peace-building possibilities"
• "Men in Grocery Stores: A Step to Peace?"
• "Planting Peace Through Agriculture"
• "Managing International Projects with Countries in Conflict"
• Olive Oil Workshop in Provence, June 2007
• "Agriculture Offers a Link to Peace in the Middle East"
• "Israelis, Palestinians Market Olives in Italy"
• "Olives -- the Symbol of Peace"

San Diego State University Research Foundation was incorporated in 1943 as an auxiliary organization authorized by the Education Code of the State of California. A non-profit corporation, the SDSU Research Foundation is self-financed and chartered specifically to provide or augment essential services that are an integral part of the educational program of San Diego State University.

San Diego State University is the largest university within the California State University system and the second largest in the state of California with an enrollment of more than 35,000 students. Located in a large and ethnically diverse metropolitan center bordering Mexico and on the Pacific Rim, the university uses the social, cultural, scientific and technical resources of the region to enrich its teaching and research programs. Through centers of excellence such as the Hansen Institute, the university continues to expand its service to the regional, national and international communities that it serves.
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Dr. Bonnie A. Stewart Executive Director		Click here for Dr. Stewart's resume
Phone:	619-594-5644
Fax:	619-583-1488
Address:	5250 Campanile Drive  San Diego, CA 92182-1933
Email:	bstewart@foundation.sdsu.edu