The Stephen L. and Connie J. Ferguson International Center, situated across the street from the Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, will create a hub for global culture and learning at Indiana University and the IU Bloomington campus. Located on the corner of Eagleson Avenue and Seventh Street, this will be IU’s home for international activities from current study abroad and international students to over 40 globally engaged alumni chapters around the world. The Office of the Vice President for International Affairs (OVPIA) is beginning to move into the new building, uniting all of IU Global’s Bloomington-based staff under one roof for the first time.
This building is more than just a space—it is a commitment to carrying forward IU’s ongoing legacy of global engagement. It will enable IU Global to support international and intercultural learning for all IU students. The new center will foster greater interaction and collaboration between international students and those who study abroad, while providing space for meetings and other functions by the roughly 100 formal and informal internationally focused student organizations on the Bloomington campus.
The Ferguson International Center will be the core of international programming and student activities on campus and serve as a venue for hosting foreign academic and government delegations, highlighting our standing as one of the country’s most globally engaged universities.
Creating a home for international programs and services in the heart of our campus recognizes the critical importance of global engagement to an IU education.
Vice President for International Affairs Hannah Buxbaum
After a groundbreaking that just barely preceded the pandemic and three years of construction, all operations are scheduled to be running out of the new building this semester. IU Global departments will be moving in over the winter months, including the Office of Overseas Study, Office of International Services, International Partnerships, Global Gateway Network, and the Office of International Development. Each department will reach out to their constituents to advise on when their services have moved into the new building and are operational.
Of course, none of this would be possible without the generous $5 million gift from IU alumni Steve and Connie Ferguson, that partially funded the building.
Connie and I have traveled the globe, meeting many wonderful people and developing meaningful friendships. We believe the world would be a better place if everyone had those opportunities. This center will enable students to become truly global citizens: it will serve as a home-away-from-home for our international students and be a one-stop central resource of services for IU students as they consider venturing abroad and developing their own deep international relationships. We are honored and proud that it carries our name.
Stephen Ferguson, JD’76, DHL’18
Chairman of the Board, Cook Group Incorporated
Vice President Buxbaum and all IU Global staff look forward to welcoming the IU community into our new space after the formal dedication ceremony with the President’s Office later in spring 2023.
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