Established in 2003, the Center in Paris solidified the University of Chicago’s presence in Europe and served an important role in the expansion of undergraduate student study abroad programs. As the University’s first center abroad, the Boyer Center serves as a model for scholarly engagement worldwide that extends through University of Chicago centers in London, Delhi, Beijing, and a campus in Hong Kong.
Over the years, Paris has become home to the largest number of the College’s hallmark quarter-long, faculty-led programs for undergraduates that transport the undergraduate curriculum and faculty abroad to consider the impact of texts, events, and ideas in the places that bore them. The Center also expanded in significance and reach, widening its range of geographic networks to include Africa and the Middle East. Programming and partnerships grew more than twentyfold, with demand far outpacing the space and facilities.
A new facility, slated to open in 2024, will nearly triple the size of UChicago’s current Center, dramatically increasing its capacity to host students, faculty, visiting scholars, and public events.
The project includes 25,000 square feet with 10 full-sized classrooms, a large multifunction space, and a modular amphitheater seating up to 100 people—all located directly above a Metro stop. In addition, the new facility will include: a large reception space; 28 offices for faculty, staff, and doctoral students; special group workspace for research teams; four outdoor terrace spaces; and various student spaces, among other features.
In Spring 2023, University alumni, parents, and trustees contributed $21.5 million to name the University of Chicago John W. Boyer Center in Paris in recognition of Boyer’s extraordinary tenure as Dean of the College.