Welcome

Welcome from the Founding Dean

If you are reading this letter, it’s safe to say that you’re considering joining us.

It wasn’t so long ago that I was in your shoes. I moved to Bloomington after a career in Washington, D.C. Of course, I knew about Indiana University’s long commitment to global studies, but HLS was still brand new.

So, what drew me to become its founding dean?

The Indiana Way

It didn’t take me long to understand that while HLS is young, our university’s commitment to “bringing Indiana to the world and the world to Indiana” dates back more than a century.

From the Dean's Desk

Articles from Founding Dean, Lee A. Feinstein

Our school’s namesakes, Presidential Medal of Freedom winners Senator Richard Lugar and Representative Lee Hamilton, embody what I’ve come to call the Indiana Way. It’s a nonpartisan tradition in support of a principled and pragmatic foreign policy built on the idea that the world is a better place and our country is more secure and more prosperous when we engage with the world.

HLS builds on this proud tradition.

Clockwise from top: Legendary IU President Herman B Wells stands behind President Lyndon Johnson at the White House. Seung-kyung Kim, director of the Institute for Korean Studies. Former U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry inaugurates the new HLS building. HLS Distinguished Scholars, former Senator Richard Lugar (foreground) and former Representative Lee Hamilton (left).

A transdisciplinary, transnational approach

At HLS our bedrock principle is: To change the world, you must first seek to understand it.

We combine the study of history, culture, society, and language with a close examination of pressing global issues we face today. Our students graduate ready to tackle these issues, whether as diplomats, government leaders, lawyers, entrepreneurs, teachers, scholars, or doctors.

An incubator of fresh ideas

HLS is the hub of international activity on a diverse campus that annually welcomes students from 137 countries. Check out the video screens as you walk around our beautiful, sustainable new building to get a glimpse of the opportunities available every day, whether it's a performance by a renowned Indian composer or a discussion with the former U.S. ambassador to India.

The journey is just starting

So, today, I can say that the exhilaration of being among a talented, vibrant community of scholars and students is still as keen as the first day I arrived.

Browse through our website to learn more. And then, if you think you’re ready to change both the world and yourself, let me be the first to welcome you to HLS.

Explore our offerings

Meet our faculty

Start your application

Hamilton Lugar School
of Global and International Studies

Welcome

Welcome from the Founding Dean

The Indiana Way

From the Dean's Desk

A transdisciplinary, transnational approach

An incubator of fresh ideas

The journey is just starting

Additional links and resources

Welcome

Welcome from the Founding Dean

The Indiana Way

From the Dean's Desk

A transdisciplinary, transnational approach

An incubator of fresh ideas

The journey is just starting

Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies social media channels

Additional links and resources