Opening

Lots of excitement here: last night was the study center's grand opening. Faculty, regents and the Dean of the College arrived from the University of Minnesota this week, and Ozayr has been giving walking tours and hosting dinners all week. At the center last night there was a reception to celebrate its opening, with guests that included the US Counsel General to Turkey and the mayor of Beyoglu. This center, which will be run by Accent when U of M students are not using it, is the first North American school for the study of design in Turkey, and will bring many more students to this exciting and vibrant city. A long time dream for Ozayr and UMN alums Mark and Nedret Butler come true, something they have been working on tirelessly since Ozayr first started bringing students here in 2007.

Below is: Ozayr Saloojee, Mark and Nedret Butler, Martha Johnson (Learning Abroad Center, UMN) and Tom Fisher (Dean of the College of Design, UMN)