President Bush spoke Thursday at the U.S. State Department’s University Presidents Summit, an event attended by Kansas University Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

The summit, hosted by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, is in Washington, D.C. The summit’s goal is to help develop a plan for encouraging more U.S. students to study abroad and more foreign students to enroll in U.S. universities.

In his address, Bush recognized that U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., was in the audience.

“I think you’ll find this interesting,” Bush told the audience. “He has promoted the advanced study of foreign languages through the Pat Roberts Intelligence Scholars Program. Thanks for doing that.”

Felix Moos, a KU anthropology professor, helped inspire the scholars program.

Also Thursday, Bush launched the National Security Language Initiative, a plan to strengthen national security and prosperity through education and the development of foreign language skills.