RMJM’s Global Education Studio (GES) is designing master plans for two separate university campuses in Libya—making it the first American architecture office to work in the North African country since the U.S. lifted sanctions against it in 2004. While RMJM is based in the United Kingdom, its Global Education Studio is headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey.

Both university projects are being funded by the Organisation for the Development of Administrative Centres (ODAC), an arm of the Libyan government that is spending $35 billion to improve the nation’s infrastructure, diversify its economy, and generally enhance its quality of life. At 675,000 square miles, Libya is about three times the size of France.