University of Toronto to reveal new School of Global Affairs

[Looking/Up]

(Peter Munk)

It’s Janice Stein’s dream and Peter Munk’s money: the vision of a global plaza reconfiguring Toronto’s downtown Bloor Street West and becoming the hub of Canada’s conversation with the world.

On Tuesday, the University of Toronto will announce its new School of Global Affairs. The school is the product of the largest single philanthropic gift in the university’s history – $35-million from gold-mining magnate Mr. Munk and his wife, Melanie – plus $25-million from the Ontario government.

Prof. Stein, who heads the parent Munk Centre for International Studies established by a multimillion-dollar gift from Mr. Munk a decade ago, said the new school “fulfills a dream for me. It says we can be among the best. We don’t move out into the world and engage. We lack a culture willing to take a risk. We have to stretch our necks.”

The school will be quartered in a century-old stone Georgian-style building at the corner of Devonshire Place and Bloor, the former headquarters of the Meteorological Service of Canada. The building’s one-time observation tower will be girdled with a flashing pixel board, announcing the world’s major news stories to the street and sidewalk bordering the university’s stadium, the Royal Conservatory of Music and the Royal Ontario Museum.

The high-profile visibility of the school – which will take in its first 40 students this summer and is now conducting an international search for a director – makes it as interesting as the scholarly work that will be expected of it.

It is located in the heart of one of the world’s most multicultural cities, near haute couture shops, art galleries, museums, the Royal Conservatory’s celebrated new concert hall and the Ontario legislature. Its illuminated ticker tower, with content provided by a major media outlet, will make the school an attraction on its own and be a symbol, said Prof. Stein, of Canada looking outward to the world. Moreover, she said, the school is restoring the building, metaphorically, to its original purpose: as an observatory.



The university says the school – which initially will offer a master’s degree in global affairs and later will add undergraduate and doctoral programs – will join an elite cadre of international academic institutions such as the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts, the London School of Economics and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in Washington. It will have partnerships with graduate international studies schools in Shanghai, Tokyo and Mexico City.

Its students will be required to go outside the country for four months to work with a global corporation, or global institution such as the United Nations or a global non-government organization and learn how to build international networks. The school will produce Canadians, Prof. Stein said, who will have thought about global society and can come back to Canada and build global bridges.

In a telephone conversation from Switzerland, Mr. Munk said, “In a bipolar world, it was easy to believe in and support American values. We’re not in a bipolar world any more. The world has come to question more and more American values and the American way of doing things.

“Canada has a unique opportunity to step into the shoes that America has vacated, and I think that requires an elite group of highly educated, globalized Canadians who can be the spokespersons of every aspect of globalization. I don’t mean just trade, or democracy, or multiculturalism … but all the things Canada stands for, from health care down to the fundamental rejection of any kind of corruption.”

University president David Naylor said it’s critical for Canada to have a stronger presence in the world as emerging giants India and China take a bigger role in global affairs.

“As a corollary, if as a major educational and research institution, we don’t have a world-beating school that has eyes and ears on the world and connections to a whole host of smart people everywhere thinking about how countries can act in the broader global affairs sphere, then we’re disadvantaged and our students and faculty are disadvantaged.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1532272/

[Looking/Up]

The building mentioned in the article:

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monado/3571363221/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monado/...7618889561264/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/monado/...7618889561264/

[Epi]

Wow! Pretty exciting for UofT. I believe that was the registrar's office when I attended UofT. It's not really a big building though. I'm happy that they are using the old classic buildings for this kind of thing. Not every new school needs something flashy and that historic building was kind of wasted as an administration space.

[Looking/Up]

The building was the Registrar's building until this winter actually, when it moved to another location on St. George right across from the subway station. You are definitely right in saying that the building isn't that large. I imagine some sort of enlargement will need to be done, but if memory services me right there is quite a bit of room behind the structure for an expansion.

[allurban]

Originally Posted by Looking/Up

The building was the Registrar's building until this winter actually, when it moved to another location on St. George right across from the subway station. You are definitely right in saying that the building isn't that large. I imagine some sort of enlargement will need to be done, but if memory services me right there is quite a bit of room behind the structure for an expansion.

knowing U of T, they will find a way to tack on a subtle, semi-modern building to the back and sides of the original building.

Because it will be on Bloor St. the design will probably be more subtle and the addition will be hidden by the trees.

Consider the extension of Woodsworth College, the Economics faculty building and the Munk Centre itself

The Bahen Centre for ICT attached to the old Varsity building is a similar 'attachment' but a lot more 'in your face' -- reflecting the way that information is delivered in ICT and the personality of the Varsity newspaper.

As for the CIUT building, Im not sure if they are planning to do the same 'attachment' with the projects planned for that area.

Cheers, m
Cheers, m

[Taller, Better]

That is superb news! Absolutely thrilling stuff. I am not sure I would refer to that building as "Georgian", however.... more Neo-Gothic.
Also it looks older than 100 years, too.

[Looking/Up]

Ottawa to give $25-million for new global securities study centre

The federal government will give $25-million to create a centre for the study of global security issues at the University of Toronto’s new Munk School of Global Affairs, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the university announced this morning.

Ottawa’s contribution leaves the school flush with $85-million before the first scholars come through the doors in September. The university announced the creation of the school earlier this month with a gift of $35-million from gold-mining magnate Peter Munk. The Ontario government has also contributed $25-million.

The global security centre will bring together international scholars and post-doctoral fellows to focus research in four areas: cyber-security, a North American perspective on security, Asia-Pacific security and Arctic security.

“It’s a natural fit for the Munk school,” said director Janice Stein. “It will bring together a concentration of knowledge and distinctive expertise and allow the Munk School to bring Canada’s voice to global discussions on security.”

Mr. Harper announced the federal grant in an Ottawa speech to a G8/G20 business conference organized by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. The G8 summit will be held in Ontario’s Muskoka region in late June followed by a G20 summit in Toronto.

The Prime Minister’s Office said the federal money will be provided over four years and be used both for renovation of the centre’s facility in a century-old former federal government building and for operating costs.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...rticle1550979/

[Sid_toronto]

really happy to hear this, yes this was the registrars office, up until i graduated last year

[skyscraper03]

Great news!
The new Rotman management building was a disappointment to be honest, but this time I hope they add nice architecture to the original building.

[Elkhanan1]

Really?! I think the new Rotman wing is amazing. Same for the Max Gluskin expansion.

[skyscraper03]

Originally Posted by Elkhanan1

Really?! I think the new Rotman wing is amazing. Same for the Max Gluskin expansion.

The new Rotman expansion seems to have nice interior spaces and lounges... But I think it's nothing more than an ordinary contemporary architecture which you can find almost anywhere these days. I personally like the final design for the school of architecture expansion better among recent UofT projects.

[allurban]

Originally Posted by skyscraper03

The new Rotman expansion seems to have nice interior spaces and lounges... But I think it's nothing more than an ordinary contemporary architecture which you can find almost anywhere these days. I personally like the final design for the school of architecture expansion better among recent UofT projects.

I didnt like the (original) addition to the Architecture building when I first saw it - I thought the mirrored front sticking out of the building was a bit tacky and it didnt look like a nice addition to the building.

But after a few months of evenings spent at the Pita Pit across the street, staring at the building, I decided that I liked the addition - because of the effect of the reflections of the street scenes.

Wonder what the new plans look like.

Cheers, m

[skyscraper03]

Originally Posted by allurban

I didnt like the (original) addition to the Architecture building when I first saw it - I thought the mirrored front sticking out of the building was a bit tacky and it didnt look like a nice addition to the building.

But after a few months of evenings spent at the Pita Pit across the street, staring at the building, I decided that I liked the addition - because of the effect of the reflections of the street scenes.

Wonder what the new plans look like.

Cheers, m

This (below) is the final design for the architecture building renovation, and I personally like this a lot more than the original addition or the Rotman expansion.
It's designed by Boston-based architectural firm Office dA. http://www.officeda.com/
It seems that they need fund-raising for this to be realized. I hope they get it without delay and add another piece of fascinating architecture on College street soon.






image hosted on flickr

[Looking/Up]

I think the Rotman wing is very interesting, and I'm sure it will be successful. Most of the street is a bastardization (in the best of ways) of various architectural forms and shapes, and this project will only continue that. For those worried about the mass, it will still be dwarfed by Robarts which lies just across the street.