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MU renews Luxembourg campus lease

Matt Levy, Staff Writer

Miami University's John E. Dolibois European Center (MUDEC), located in a 14th-century château in Differdange, Luxembourg, is to remain at that site until 2017.

With the current lease ending in 2012, talks are underway to keep the program there until at least 2017, according to Raymond Manes, assistant dean at MUDEC.

Plans were underway to integrate with a new university being built by the Luxembourgish government by 2012 when the global economic crisis hit, forcing the postponement of the project, Manes said.

"MUDEC has to look for an option to stay beyond 2012 and thus thought about renewing, re-conducting the lease for another five-year period, which leads us to 2017," Manes said via e-mail.

Manes said Miami has many options for the future after the 2017 lease is up. The university may decide to stay at the château for an indefinite period of time, relocate to the new university being built in the nearby town of Belveaux or adopt a completely new structure.

Manes said each option would feature more integration with Luxembourg's own university population.

"We must remain open … we need to carefully analyze (our options) in the years to come before making final decisions," Manes said. "From here we start with reflections, dreams, ideas to be analyzed."

Manes, like many others, sees the château as a very important part of the MUDEC experience.

"Is it not special to have been able to study in a middle-age castle and still be able to benefit from the most modern infrastructure?" Manes asked.

Alyssa Klein, coordinator of the Luxembourg program, agrees the château is a very important part of the program's identity.

"(The château) is definitely a selling point," Klein said. "We have the image of it on many marketing materials. There are so many photographs of it because it is such a unique, impressive facility. We show pictures of it at first-year orientation, and students and parents all remember it."

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According to Klein, the château gives Miami students studying in Luxembourg an important sense of community.

"The opportunity to take classes in a 14th-century château in many ways symbolizes the identity of the Luxembourg program," Klein said. "The Cave (a large student lounge located within the château) is the center of student life while they are in Luxembourg."

Junior Amelia Kinsella, a MUDEC alumnus, agrees the château leaves a large impression on Miami students who study in Luxembourg.

"It really makes the experience," Kinsella said. "We all form bonds with each other, and the intimate nature of the château allows us to do that."

Kinsella said she enjoyed the comfort and convenience the château offers.

"It's a place for us to feel safe," Kinsella said. "We can go to classes, do homework, relax, hang out, have meals and talk to the faculty all in the same building. It's the best of both worlds."

The comfort of having an English-speaking facility was also important to Kinsella.

"It's convenient because everything is located there, so it allowed us to get a routine going pretty fast," Kinsella said. "The château is a comfortable space and also allowed us to be pretty independent."

What specific changes there will be within the next seven years remain to be seen.

According to Klein, the program is not resistant to change.

"We are always looking for ways to expand the program," Klein said.

According to Manes, integration with Luxembourg's new university, when finally built, would be ideal.

"If MUDEC keeps the château, with the closeness of the two campuses, it could even be an asset to them to be able to make usage of our grounds here," Manes said.