As a superpower, America's reach and responsibilities encompass the globe. As a nation of emigrants, Americans have inherited the genes of the planet. Yet U.S. citizens at home have not been not noted for their curiosity about foreign cultures, and their image abroad has owed a lot to naive government policy-makers or obnoxious tourists.

Move over stereotypes, there's good news about Americans' changing attitudes. According to the annual "Open Doors" report by the Institute of International Education released yesterday, U.S. students in record numbers are recognizing the importance of an international education in a global society.

In the 2006-07 academic year, according to the report, the number of Americans studying abroad increased by 8 percent to 241,791. Over a decade, the number of U.S. students receiving academic credit for foreign study has risen nearly 150 percent.

Moreover, students are more frequently picking non-traditional destinations for study. While Britain remains the most popular choice, students in significantly greater numbers are learning in Ecuador, South Africa, Argentina, China and India. (With China emerging as a superpower, the number of American students studying there rose 25 percent from the previous year to 11,064.)

The greater interest by U.S. students in the world is a compliment being repaid by foreign students. Although security restrictions after the 9/11 terrorism attacks contributed to a drop in international students attending American campuses, numbers have been rebounding and rose 7 percent last year to a record 623,805. India is the leading source of foreign students, with China second and South Korea third.

All this is to the good. No nation -- least of all the United States -- can afford to remain in cultural and linguistic isolation. With Americans going out to meet the world, and their campuses inviting the world back to learn, American values will play their part in shaping a better world of mutual understanding.