OVERVIEW

The CIGI Campus, located in Waterloo, Ontario, is a hub of Canadian-based study and research in international affairs. First classes were held in October 2011. Public lectures are held in the 250-seat CIGI Auditorium.

The campus is home to academic and research programs that are partnerships between The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) and other institutions. It includes the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), established in 2007 and offering a Ph.D. and two master’s programs. The school is a partnership among the University of Waterloo, Wilfrid Laurier University and CIGI. In time, the campus may also be home to a proposed master’s program in international law. An incubator of ideas results from the physical proximity of a global think tank and related schools.

This $69-million facility received federal and provincial funding totalling $50 million through the Knowledge Infrastructure Program and Ontario’s 2009 budget. The land for the CIGI Campus was donated by the City of Waterloo through a 99-year lease.

The CIGI Campus is located 45 minutes from Pearson International Airport and 15 minutes from the Region of Waterloo International Airport. It is also within an hour's drive of eight Ontario universities, and located in a region that is home to leading technology firms with strong international reputations for innovation and knowledge transfer, as well as a leading institute for theoretical physics.

CONSTRUCTION

Toronto-based Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects designed the campus in the classic “Oxbridge” style, while Gregory J. Bewick and Associates Limited and Cooper Construction Limited provided construction management services.

PROJECT STATUS

The CIGI Campus is scheduled for substantial completion by November 2011.

Significant project progress as of September, 2011:

• The Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) is ready for staff/student partial occupancy as of September 6, 2011
• The City has inspected and approved these areas for partial occupancy
• Finishing work will be on-going in the academic building and exterior

For a complete listing of project updates, click here