Fonds F1957 - Queen's University. Bader International Study Centre fonds

The Bader International Study Centre (BISC) is located on the historic 200-hectare Herstmonceux Castle estate in East Sussex, U.K. The estate was donated to Queen's in 1993 by Queen's alumnus Dr. Alfred Bader and his wife, Dr. Isabel Bader. After extensive renovations to the moated 15th century castle (which housed the Royal Greenwich Observatory earlier in the century), the BISC now offers an ideal setting for an innovative undergraduate program in experimental international learning that involves extensive use of integrated field study activities, both in the British Isles, and in continental Europe. While the BISC is owned and operated by Queen's, its award-winning programs are offered in conjunction with a consortium of top-ranking Canadian universities that includes The University of British Columbia, University of Victoria, Dalhousie University and Huron University College. The BISC provides a unique First-Year Program (offering selected first-year Queen's courses in the arts, humanities, languages, and social sciences), an Upper-Year Program (which in addition, offers Queen's courses in Commerce and Law), and an academically enhanced ESL Plus Program for international students. The BISC campus includes Herstmonceux Castle (housing classroom, conference, computing, library, study, and dining facilities), Bader Hall (a modern three-story residence for students, faculty, and guests), formal Elizabethan gardens, and an extensive wooded medieval park. While the academic programs are the central focus of activities in the fall, winter and spring terms, the BISC also serves during the spring and summer months as a conference centre for academic and business gatherings, as well as a bed and breakfast facility for visitors.