Speaking at the New York University commencement ceremony on Wednesday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton urged the 2009 graduating class to become citizen diplomats and to open themselves up to “this increasingly complex and interconnected world.” Clinton spent a significant portion of her speech emphasizing that “lay[ing] the groundwork…for global cooperation” begins with international exchange. Her remarks included such specific proposals as increasing funding for Gilman scholarships by more than 40 per cent, streamlining the visa process for international students, and creating Virtual Student Foreign Service Internships at the State Department “to harness the energy of a rising generation of citizen diplomats”: