Today’s blog post is provided by IU President Michael A. McRobbie.

Dear Alumni Chapter Presidents and Volunteers,

I am very pleased to share with you some exciting news about Indiana University’s latest international initiative.

In June 2018, the IU Board of Trustees approved construction of the IU International Center, a project that will greatly enhance and expand the university’s international presence on the Bloomington campus and which builds upon more than 130 years of exceptional international engagement. This 40,000 square-foot Center will serve as a vital hub for IU’s international activity by consolidating our internationally focused offices, services, and programs into one central location, thus allowing us to better serve our international students and visiting faculty. It will be located across the street from the IU School of Global and International Studies, the home of our academic programs in international studies and languages—thus creating new channels for collaboration and cooperation between programs and services in the two buildings. The facility will also serve as gateway for the world into Indiana University where international students and faculty along with the larger university community can celebrate and share cultures and traditions, host international visitors, and build a more integrated international experience.

During the Trustees’ most recent meeting earlier this month, the Board then approved the building’s design by renowned architect Tom Phifer, of Thomas Phifer & Partners in New York, who has designed a beautiful and functional building that will be a superb addition to the IU Bloomington campus. The window-dominated $17.5 million building will boast floor-to-ceiling glass, making the exterior landscape visible from every point within the building. Construction for the building is set to commence in early spring 2019 and will be completed in 14 months.

Thank you once again for everything you continue to do on behalf of Indiana University to strengthen our efforts to represent, engage, and further develop partnerships with our outstanding community of alumni.