Green School celebrates the opening of a second building

The fulfillment of a long-held vision for FIU’s Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs is about to be celebrated.

The Green School’s impressive new building adds a “West Wing” to its original facility, thereby uniting most of the school’s eight departments and 18 international centers, institutes and programs under one roof. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, inspiring event spaces, classrooms and offices, the new building and the Green School’s original building, which opened in 2010, now constitute the Green School Complex. More than just a new structure, it represents the realization of a vision to create innovative opportunities for connection, collaboration and discovery, further elevating the quality of learning, scholarship and research.

This transformative achievement will be celebrated at the dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony for SIPA II at11:00 a.m. on Monday, Nov.18, in the Green School Complex courtyard at MMC.

The Green School’s expanding campus presence and its dedication to excellence align with benefactor Ambassador Steven J. Green’s vision for a globally recognized leading school of its kind. The new five-story, 85,000-square-foot building, designed by renowned architect Yann Weymouth—best known for his collaboration with I.M. Pei on the Louvre in Paris—features spacious, light-filled areas that seamlessly connect the indoor and outdoor spaces. Weymouth designed the building to reflect the Green School’s interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation.

“The school’s beautiful new building provides inspiring spaces where learning thrives and solutions are developed,” said Dean Shlomi Dinar. “The development of the Green School Complex helps advance our mission to prepare leaders who will create a better world and be effective changemakers.”

The new building houses the dean’s office and key academic units, including the Departments of History and Modern Languages as well as the Kimberly Green Latin American & Caribbean Center, the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership, the Mohsin & Fauzia Jaffer Center for Muslim World Studies, the European & Eurasian Studies Program, the Václav Havel Program for Human Rights & Democracy, and the Model UN team headquarters. The ground floor’s International Pavilion has become the central stage for many of the Green School’s prominent events. The soon-to-be-completed, fourth floor will feature the Jack D. Gordon Institute for Public Policy and the Department of Economics.

“Moving into our new office suite marks an exciting new chapter for the Maurice A. Ferré Institute, providing a bright, centrally located space that truly reflects our mission,” said Agatha Caraballo, director of the institute. “More than just offices, it’s a collaborative hub where students, faculty, and staff come together to drive meaningful change in our communities.”

The building’s environment is also appreciated by students. “I often study for exams or work on my dissertation in the Ferré Institute resource room,” shared Sandy Skelaney, a doctoral student of public affairs who expects to graduate next spring. “With a quiet atmosphere and a strong sense of community, it provides an ideal place to focus and to bounce ideas off each other.”

The new facility was funded by a partnership of philanthropy and state support, with $15 million contributed by the Green Family Foundation, and an additional $12.7 million from the Florida Legislature.