More than 175 alumni and Queen’s community members, some travelling from as far away as Hong Kong and Singapore, helped celebrate the past, present, and future of the Bader International Study Centre (BISC) during its 25^th anniversary celebration on June 29-30.

Sunny weather greeted former students as they returned to Queen’s international campus at Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England, to reconnect with old classmates and participate in a number of activities that paid homage to the castle’s 15^th-century roots, including falconry and archery. Guests were also invited to explore the BISC’s new state-of-the-art science labs.

The weekend was also a time to pay tribute to philanthropists Drs. Alfred Bader (BSc’45, BA’46, MSc’47, LLD’86) and Isabel Bader (LLD’07). Alfred Bader passed away in December at the age of 94. He and Isabel decided to donate the castle to Queen’s in 1992 after seeing it for sale in a newspaper ad.

Daniel Woolf (Artsci’80), who officially stepped down after completing a second five-year term as principal and vice-chancellor over the weekend, praised the Baders for having the vision to see that the castle could be turned into a campus attracting students from around the world.

“Over the last decade, Queen’s has endeavored to expand its international footprint and ensure that our students, our researchers, and our campus all benefit from stronger ties with partners around the globe,” Dr. Woolf told alumni during his opening remarks on Saturday. “The Bader International Study Centre has been instrumental in bringing that vision to fruition.”

During a ceremony in the Elizabethan Garden, a plaque was unveiled to honour the Baders’ legacy. There, Chancellor Jim Leech (MBA’73) noted how studying abroad at the BISC, which uses small classes and its international location to create an exceptional learning environment, can be a life-changing experience.

“The Bader International Study Centre has played a foundational role in the education of thousands of students who are out there making a difference in the world,” Chancellor Leech said.

Attendees also heard a keynote talk from NASA astronaut Drew Feustel (PhD’95, DSc’16) who spoke about his career and recent six-month mission to the International Space Station.

In honour of Canada Day, the castle was open on Sunday to both alumni and local community members, and hundreds of people enjoyed Canuck-friendly fun such as street hockey and servings of poutine and Nanaimo bars.

A display of the traditional hunting practice of falconry thrilled a large crowd as several birds of prey flew over people’s heads. Other weekend events included archery lessons, croquet, an afternoon tea in the gardens, and tours of the new state-of-the-art science and innovation labs. The labs, opened by the Lord Lieutenant of East Sussex (the Queen Elizabeth II’s official representative in the county), are part of the BISC’s long-term plan to offer more science-based programs.

Vice-Provost and Executive Director Hugh Horton said he is looking forward to seeing the BISC continue to grow and offer an exceptional international learning experience to students.

“Our challenge now is to build on what we have so that we will have even more to celebrate by the time we mark our 50^th anniversary,” Dr. Horton said during the official opening. “We want to create more experiential learning opportunities for our students. We want to give them access to state-of-the-art classrooms and study spaces.”

Visit the BISC Alumni Spotlight Series website and learn how studying at Herstmonceux Castle impacted the lives of former BISC students.

To see more pictures of the BISC anniversary, please see the Queen’s Alumni Flickr album.

This article was first published on the Queen's Alumni website.

When Claire Gummo (Artsci’17) arrived at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar in 2017 it was a dream come true.

Along her academic journey there was a lot of hard work and dedication and as well as support, including from Stéfanie von Hlatky, an associate professor of political studies at Queen’s University and the former director of the Queen’s Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP).

Two years later, remembering her invaluable encouragement and mentorship during her time at Queen’s as an undergraduate student, Gummo nominated Dr. von Hlatky for the Rhodes Inspirational Educator Award. Recently, it was announced that the Rhodes Trust agreed with Gummo.

Making the decision to nominate her former professor was easy, Gummo says. She knows that she wouldn’t have become a Rhodes Scholar without Dr. von Hlatky’s guidance and support.

“Dr. von Hlatky was my biggest advocate in the Rhodes Scholarship selection process. Beyond writing a recommendation letter in support of my application, she ran practice interviews with me, provided encouragement at key moments when I doubted myself, and helped me to select my program at Oxford once I learned I had received the scholarship,” she says. “For me, this piece around encouragement was most crucial. I have, like many young women, a tendency to doubt my own abilities, making something like the Rhodes Scholarship feel like an impossible dream. Dr. von Hlatky pushed me to embrace opportunities and be confident about my own potential and intellect. She did this not just in her words but also by acting as a role model, providing a clear example of what professional excellence and strength look like.” 

Dr. von Hlatky says that while Gummo is strong academically, what set her apart during her time at Queen’s was her level of engagement on campus and her commitment to helping other students, particularly her work and advocacy on sexual violence prevention.

As a professor, Dr. von Hlatky aims to convey her passion to her students when teaching or discussing her research. Receiving this award, she says, has provided an opportunity to think about how to teach with purpose moving forward with an increasingly diverse student body in mind. 

“As professors, we teach and provide training to students but at Queen’s, there are fantastic opportunities for genuine mentorship relationships to emerge,” Dr. von Hlatky says. “This is the case not only because our students are very active in student clubs and continuously involve their professors, but also thanks to programs like Undergraduate Student Summer Research Fellowships (USSRF). For me, involving undergraduate and graduate students in my research projects has been a great way to provide mentorship that goes beyond the classroom.”

Not only has Dr. von Hlatky been a mentor for Gummo but she’s also a role model. Dr. von Hlatky is as equally talented a researcher as she is an educator, Gummo says, with compelling work on topics including gender mainstreaming, contemporary security trends especially within NATO, and military cooperation, that has shaped her own academic thinking in critical ways. 

“I am struck and inspired by the way Dr. von Hlatky’s confidence and intelligence never fails to command the respect and admiration of her colleagues – both military and civilian,” Gummo wrote in her nomination letter. “In this way, she has acted as a crucial role model for me in my own life, shaping my approach to professional and academic endeavours. However, what truly sets Dr. von Hlatky apart is that this boldness is matched with a remarkable generosity of spirit. She goes above and beyond to mentor her students, especially young women, even founding Women in International Security Canada, which has provided support to more than 600 young academics. Taken together, these two disparate yet complementary elements of her character – boldness and generosity – have greatly inspired me, as they have every student who is fortunate enough to have the opportunity to learn from, and with, her.”

Gummo was named Queen’s University’s 57^th Rhodes Scholar in 2017. At Oxford she completed a one-year master’s in Global Governance and Diplomacy, followed by a second one-year master’s in Public Policy, where she specialized in gender mainstreaming and practical feminist ethics.

Each year 11 Canadians are selected for Rhodes Scholarships, the most prestigious academic awards in the world. Created in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes, the scholarships cover all costs for two or three years of study at the University of Oxford. The scholarships are awarded to students on the basis of high academic achievement and personal integrity, who are also expected to emerge as “leaders for the world’s future.”

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Queen’s is deeply engaged internationally with strong academic and research ties around the globe including the university’s Bader International Study Centre (BISC) in the United Kingdom, that offers high-quality programs in humanities, social sciences, business and law. Queen’s has more than 220 student exchange partners in more than 40 countries and numerous education abroad experiences available.

Increasingly, the international experience is becoming an integral part of a post-secondary education. 

At Queen’s a growing number of students participate in global learning opportunities through Queen’s exchanges and other programs. At the same time, a diverse group of students arrive at the university from around the world. 

Through the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) Photo Contest, now in its 11th year, students have the opportunity to share their experiences, whether here in Kingston, somewhere in Canada, or at any point across the globe. The contest continues to draw stunning photos with close to 150 students participating.

“A photo is a snapshot capturing a journey where exploration and learning takes place. We sometimes find ourselves come across instances and experiences where words cannot capture the essence of the moment we are experiencing,” says QUIC Director Sultan Almajil. “Photography allows us to share a story and provides viewers an opportunity to see the world through our students’ eyes. I am very proud of QUIC’s photo contest legacy and look forward to continue supporting our students in their journey and telling us their stories.”

This year’s winning photo, as selected by a panel of judges, was submitted by Henry Memmott, an exchange student from the University of St Andrews in Scotland where he studies biology and geography. The photo catches a fisherman on Inle Lake in Myanmar as he casts his net. The photo also won the People’s Choice Award.

Memmott arrived at Queen’s as part of the new dual-placement Tri-SEP exchange program that allows students to study the Global Environmental Challenges of the 21st Century at Queen’s University, St Andrews, and the National University of Singapore.

The contest features four categories – People and Culture; Landscape / Nature; Home Away From Home; Critical Global Issues.

This year’s category winners are:
People & Culture
1: Alexa Reid: Mamazuzu - Vietnam
2: Nikhil Arora: Peaceful Reflections - Abu Dhabi.
3: Sydnie D'Aoust: All in a Day’s Work - India.

Landscape / Nature
1: Matthew Degeer: Sunrise at Lower Lake - New York.
2: Jordan Bertagnolli: Failed Hunt - India.
3: Gizem Ozdil: Istanbul - Turkey.

Home away from Home
1: Nadia El Dabee: Toes in the Bay - India.
2: Atefeh Azizitorghabeh: Snowman at John Orr Tower - Kingston.
3: Jessie Han: Farewell - BISC at Herstmonceux, UK.

Critical Global Issues
1: Emily Marriott: Iceberg – Iceland – (Global warming) 
2: Monique Sereno: Staring Contest - China (Endangered species, social media). 
3: Bruna Gallo: Viewing Machine - Brazil (Environmental degradation). 

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All of the winning photos can be viewed on the QUIC page on Flickr. Learn more about the opportunities offered by QUIC.