The Lee H. Hamilton and Richard G. Lugar School of Global and International Studies is founded on a long history of excellence in language and area studies. In fact, the first courses in modern languages were offered here when the institution was known as Indiana College.
History of the Lee H. Hamilton and Richard G. Lugar School of Global and International Studies
Before the School of Global and International Studies
1820: A legislative act is adopted establishing a state seminary in Bloomington (this is recognized as Indiana University Founders’ Day).
1825: Classes begin at the State Seminary – only Ancient Greek and Latin are taught
1828: State Seminary renamed Indiana College
1836: Modern language instruction begins with the first French course
1838: Indiana College is renamed Indiana University
1842: International law is an explicit part of the original law curriculum
1943: The foundation was laid for what would become the Department of Central Eurasian Studies. After entering World War II, the U.S. established an “Army Specialized Training Program for Central Eurasian Languages” at Indiana University to provide training in several Eurasian languages.
1951: The first Summer Language Workshop was held at Indiana University
1956: “Army Specialized Training Program for Central Eurasian Languages” formally organized as the Program in Uralic and Altaic Studies (precursor to CEUS).
1958: First title VI program – Russian and East European Studies
1961: East Asia and Inner Asia area studies program established
1963: Latin American Area studies established
1965: Middle East area studies established
1968: European area studies established
1977: Polish Studies Center founded
1998: First undergraduate minor in International Studies offered through the College of Arts and Sciences
2008: Chinese Language Flagship undergraduate program established - IU Center for Chinese Language Pedagogy – located within the College of Arts and Sciences – was selected for a Defense Language and National Security Education Office (DLNSEO) funded Language Flagship.
2010: Swahili Flagship program established in the College of Arts and Sciences, led by Alwiya Omar, clinical associate professor in the Department of Linguistics.
2011:
- February 2, 2011: Chinese Flagship graduate program established. The Language Flagship, an initiative of the National Security Education Program (NSEP) within the U.S. Department of Defense, chose Indiana University as the only location for its graduate level activities in Chinese.
- October 6, 2011: IU chosen for the first Turkish Flagship Program
School of Global and International Studies (SGIS)
2012: The Board of Trustees approves establishment of the School of Global and International Studies. This is referred to as the “first year” of the School of Global and International Studies. This is also the year that International Studies shifted from being a program to being a department.
2013:
- January 2013: Indiana University announces former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton and former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar to join the faculty
- April 2013: Official groundbreaking for the School of Global and International Studies building. U.S. Senator Dan Coats gave the keynote address and Vice President Joe Biden appeared via video. Also present were former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar and former U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton, both of whom were named professors of practice in the new school. Groundbreaking event video
- December 2013: Former Ambassador Lee Feinstein named founding dean
2014:
- May 2014: First time diplomas are awarded from the School of Global and International Studies. The Herald-Times article on May 2014 commencement “The degrees included the first Ph.D. in African American and African diaspora studies and the first master’s and doctoral degrees from the new School of Global and International Studies.”
- Late summer 2014: Founding Dean Lee Feinstein starts his new role.
- October 2014: Dean Feinstein’s initial SGIS leadership team starts, including Nick Cullather, associate dean for academic affairs; Hilary Kahn, assistant dean for strategic collaborations; Jennifer Goins, director of administration.
2015:
- August:
- October:
- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerryattends School of Global and International Studies building dedication.
- Institute for Korean Studies formal opening
2016:
- March:
- May:
- Arabic Flagship established
2017:
- October 6, 2017: IU Trustees approve the International Law and Institutions Bachelor of Arts degree, a collaboration between School of Global and International Studies and Maurer School of Law.
- October 31, 2017: Randall L. and Deborah F. Tobias Center for International Development established with $5 million gift.
2018:
- April 19, 2018: 21st Century Japan Politics and Society Initiatve established in the School of Global and International Studies’ renowned Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures with a $900,000 grant Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership.
- August 22, 2018: Russian Flagship established by College of Arts and Sciences, making IU the only school to have four language flagship programs (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, and Turkish).
- August 27, 2018: 18.8 million in Title VI funding awarded to 18 separate programs. Indiana University’s School of Global and International Studies has announced that 11 IU area studies centers and programs have been awarded grant funding for 18 separate programs under the Department of Education’s prestigious Title VI program. A record number of centers housed within the School of Global and International Studies received funding in the 2018 round.
Rep. Lee H. Hamilton and Sen. Richard G. Lugar School of Global and International Studies
2018:
- October 3, 2018: Announcement naming the Lee H. Hamilton and Richard G. Lugar School of Global and International Studies
- October 23, 2018: Shreve scholarships announced
2019:
- April 28: Death of Sen. Richard Lugar, one of the school’s namesakes
- August: Board of Trustees approves a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity and Global Policy degree
2020: Turkish Language Flagship concludes June 30, 2020
2021:
- June 9, 2021: Senator Dan Coats named "Ambassador at Large” to the Hamilton Lugar School
- December 16, 2021: Lee Feinstein announces he will step down on Jan. 31 to assume a new role as president of McLarty Associates
2022:
- January:
- Nick Cullather named interim dean for the Hamilton Lugar School (role begins in February)
- August:
2024:
- John Ciorciari named dean of the Hamilton Lugar School (role begins March 1).