IU will host a dedication ceremony for the Stephen L. and Connie J. Ferguson International Center, a new center for study abroad and international student services and support. The ceremony, which will mark the official completion of the building, will take place at 1 p.m. April 28 at the Ferguson International Center on the corner of Seventh Street and Eagleson Avenue, according to IU Events.
According to the IU Global website, the newly opened center currently houses offices and programs that provide services and support to international and study-abroad students. Each year, IU has nearly 8,000 international students and 4,000 IU students who study abroad in other countries, according to the website.
The Office of Overseas Study, Office of International Services, International Partnerships, Global Gateway Network and the Office of International Development moved into the building during the winter months, according to an IU Global blog post. The 40,000-square-foot building will be the center for international programming and student activities, as well as the venue for hosting foreign academic and government delegations, according to the post.
[Related: Ferguson International Center opens doors to IU community]
The center was partially funded by a $5 million donation from IU alumni Stephen and Connie Ferguson, according to the blog post. Connie Ferguson, a College of Arts and Sciences alumna, said the goal of the project was to promote globalization. Stephen Ferguson, who obtained a J.D. from the Maurer School of Law, said his experiences traveling for work led him to donate to the project.
IU broke ground at the Ferguson International Center in March 2020 just before the pandemic, and the building opened its doors in February, nearly three years later. By the end of the spring 2023 semester, all of IU Global’s Bloomington-based staff will be working in the same building, according to the blog post.
The center has several events planned for the next month including a virtual meetup series between IU faculty in Europe organized through the IU Europe Gateway on May 4, according to the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs events calendar.
The in-person dedication ceremony is not open to the public. However, those interested can watch a live stream of the event here. People with questions about accessibility can contact Terri Crouch at (812)-855-3761 or tcrouch@iu.edu.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect the in-person event is not open to the public.
