For all who want to build something new
To change the world, we must first seek to understand it.
The Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies (HLS) at Indiana University has a dual focus that sets it apart from other schools. First, it seeks to research and teach the languages, literatures, histories, and cultures of strategically important regions of the world. At the same time, it examines crucial contemporary issues that transcend national and regional borders—security, trade and development, and human rights. One of the guiding principles of HLS is the belief that governments, businesses, and nongovernmental organizations cannot effectively respond to regional and global challenges without understanding how these issues impact individuals and their communities.
IU has long been celebrated for its excellence in teaching languages and cultures, and the Hamilton Lugar School builds on that storied tradition. In tandem, HLS is rapidly developing expertise in providing pragmatic, nonpartisan solutions to some of the world’s greatest challenges. Perhaps no one better exemplifies the visionary problem-solving skills that HLS hopes to instill in its students than the school’s namesakes: two of our celebrated faculty members and internationally respected statesmen, former senator Richard Lugar and former congressman Lee Hamilton.
At a time when other schools are cutting back their funding of area studies, IU has chosen to make a significant investment in HLS. In October 2015, Secretary of State John Kerry helped dedicate the beautiful, state-of-the-art Global and International Studies Building at the center of campus. To ensure the highest-quality teaching and research, the school is in the process of hiring 25 new faculty members.
With the launch of For All: The Indiana University Bicentennial Campaign, we seek critical private support to further develop this elite new school and to position it for success for decades to come.