The university officially opened its newly purchased Study Abroad location in Leipzig on Tuesday evening.

The Leipzig villa is the first international property the university has purchased for Study Abroad purposes.

The grand opening was attended by Dr. Phil Schubert, president of the university, Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost, and Stephen Shewmaker, executive director of the Center for International Education. All three addressed Study Abroad students visiting from ACU Oxford as well as visiting faculty and board members. In addition, attendees also got to hear from the mayor of Leipzig, Burkhard Jung, and U.S. consul general Timothy Eydelnant.

Hannah Bowling, sophomore ministry and vocation and English major from Missouri City, attended the event with the rest of her Study Abroad group.

“It was a lovely time of visiting with familiar faces of faculty and staff on campus, as well as interacting with members of the board,” she said.

The villa is located in Leipzig’s Music District and is easily able to accommodate housing for 35 students. Built in 1872, it is notable for its 10-foot ceilings, original crown moldings and decorative woodwork. Furthermore, the villa has been renovated and modernized in recent years.

Bowling said she was impressed with the 15,000-square-foot villa, which was purchased in November 2016.

“The villa is absolutely breathtaking,” Bowling said. “I was particularly taken with the grand pianos that the campus has, but it’s also in a prime location close to transit into downtown and perfectly fits large groups of Study Abroad students. Anyone who says it’s less than stunning both inside and out, sells the property short.”

Semester-long Study Abroad programs to the Leipzig campus will begin in Spring 2018.

“Leipzig is a charming and thriving city, and with its history of being a spiritual hub in East Germany,” Bowling said. “It’s exactly the type of environment that allows ACU students to discover not only more about the world but also about themselves and God.”