The University of Notre Dame has announced that Donald R. Keough and his wife Marilyn are donating to the Indiana institution $50 million to fund a new School of Global Affairs and a building in which to house the program.

In an Oct. 1 announcement, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, Notre Dame’s president, said that the new school would address “the greatest challenges of our century: threats to security and human dignity, failed government and corruption; resources wars; civil wars; and other forms of political violence and human rights violations.”

According to the announcement, the school is to conduct research on critical issues of international development, peace, human rights and governance; offer a master’s degree in global affairs; and support a range of innovative dual-degree programs and undergraduate programs to enhance students’ preparation for leadership in an increasingly interconnected world.

Mr. Keough is chairman of the board of Allen & Company Inc., a New York investment banking firm. He retired as president and chief operating officer of the Coca-Cola Co. in 1993. A longtime director of the company, he currently serves as an adviser to the board of directors. He has been a member of the university’s board of trustees since 1978, serving as chair from 1986 to 1991

To read the full announcement, click here.  For an Oct. 1 article from the Chicago Tribune, click here.