Indiana University (IU) has broken ground on the new Stephen L. and Connie J. Ferguson International Center in Bloomington, Indiana.
The 40,000ft² new Ferguson International Center will serve as a hub supporting global engagement through its study abroad and international student programmes and services.
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To be located on at the corner of Jordan Avenue and Seventh Street, near the university’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, Herman B Wells Library and Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, the building will house programming and support services for students who have studied or are interested in studying abroad, along with Indiana University’s large international student population.
The new centre was funded, in part, by $5m gift from IU alumni Steve and Connie Ferguson.
Indiana University president Michael McRobbie said: “The Ferguson International Center will enable us to more effectively serve the thousands of IU students who study abroad each year as well as IU’s international students.
“And, for the first time, it will bring together the IU staff members from various locations across the Bloomington campus who do an outstanding job of supporting these communities, as well as other staff members who support additional aspects of IU’s international engagement mission.
“On behalf of IU, I want to offer our most sincere and grateful thanks to Connie and Steve Ferguson for their dedicated service to the university, and their willingness to support this much-needed centre through their extraordinarily generous gift.”
The new centre is expected foster greater interaction and collaboration between international students who study abroad while offering space for meetings and other functions by nearly 100 formal and informal internationally focused student organisations on the Bloomington campus.
Academic and government delegations from other countries will also be hosted at the centre, highlighting IU as one of the most globally engaged universities.
The groundbreaking ceremony was held as IU celebrates its Bicentennial Year.
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Image: Rendering of the new Ferguson International Center. (Credit: The Trustees of Indiana University.)
