The chairman of the Kansas Board of Regents has set a challenging goal for higher education in Kansas – but it’s a goal that may take some time to achieve.

Nelson Galle, the regents chairman from Manhattan, is proposing that some kind of international education experience be required for all traditional students who graduate from the state’s four-year universities. That experience could range from a 10-day program in London to a two-semester stint in Paris, but it would give students at least minimal exposure to living, working or studying in another country.

It’s a wonderful goal that specifically addresses the need for all university graduates to have a better understanding of foreign cultures and global issues. Such knowledge is vital to the ability of Kansas and the United States to function in a world that is increasingly interdependent both politically and economically.

However, it probably is not something that will happen overnight. Currently, only 23.5 percent of Kansas University students study abroad as part of their undergraduate work. Providing a study abroad opportunity for all students, including those with limited financial resources, would be costly. The price tag will include not only the costs of sending students to other countries, but the administrative costs of overseeing those programs.

Nonetheless, big accomplishments start with big ideas. Having 100 percent of four-year Kansas graduates with international experience may not happen next year or even while Galle still is a regent, but it is a goal that definitely is worth working toward.