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In an afternoon ceremony held Wednesday, the Edward Minnock Center for International Engagement was rechristened as an institute and officially relocated from the top floor of the Maxwell Library to the former Alumni House at 25 Park Terrace.

Top administrators took the occasion to celebrate the university’s achievements in international education and outreach.

“Today with this dedication, we are reaffirming the importance and the priority of global engagement here at BSU by brining all of our international centers together, providing a focal point for the rich array of international research, scholarship, learning and cultural activities that our faculty are leading across this campus,” said President Frederick W. Clark Jr.

Others also saw the ceremony as a milestone.

“Today we honor the work that’s been done and chart a path to the future,” said Dr. Karim Ismaili, acting provost and vice president of Academic Affairs 

The ceremony was held to the rear of the institute’s new Park Terrace home. The two-story building has been fully renovated for its new use as home to , , Global Studies and , as well as the various faculty members involved in these programs.

Dr. Wendy Haynes, interim assistant provost and senior international officer, said the move and renaming were symbolic of the university’s mission to educate students “to be effective global citizens and leaders.”

Honored at the event was the late Dr. Edward Minnock, for whom the institute is named. He died in 2011 when he was vice president of External Affairs at BSU. Professor Emeritus Michael Kryzanek called Dr. Minnock a “global engagement visionary” and someone who had “changed �����ؿ���Ƶ State University forever.”

President Clark sent his thoughts out to Rose Minnock, the late administrator’s widow, who was unable to attend the ceremony, and added his own feelings about Dr. Minnock and the work he did at the institution.

“We’re standing on (Ed’s) shoulders as we further his vision for global engagement,” the said.

 A highlight of the speaking program were the remarks of two students. Minji Lee is a Korean student whose time at BSU has been, she said, “the best thing I ever did in my life.” During her time here she has worked as a tutor, been a student employee and orientation leader, and conducted research for work she presented at a conference held at Princeton University.

Meanwhile, Kasey Andrade has partaken of study abroad tours to Sicily and Greece, and is preparing to head to England in the spring. 

“These have led me to realize that traveling is a real passion of mine, and something that has really opened my eyes,” she said.

The students personified the objectives of BSU’s international programming, as described by President Clark during his remarks.  

“Global education must be a core, in fact, an indispensable component, of a liberal arts education here at BSU,” he said. “In a world that is more diverse and more highly interdependent, every BSU student must graduate with an awareness of the wider global community. We must provide our students with a wealth of opportunities to experience other peoples, places and cultures, whether in the classroom, or through study abroad, or via overseas service-learning projects.

“To become culturally competent in a world where your colleagues and customers may be as likely to live in another country as in another town,” President Clark continued. “To understand that what ties us together is so much more important than that which separates us, and that we all share a common bond.”

The ceremony concluded with a ribbon cutting and tours of the new institute's home. (Story and photos by John Winters, G ’11, University News & Media)