Xavier Learning Community (XLC) in Thailand, the youngest Jesuit school in the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, is in talks with the oldest Jesuit university in the United States, Georgetown University, for a possible partnership. Dr Thomas Banchoff, Georgetown University’s Vice President for Global Engagement, visited XLC on the first week of May to explore areas of future collaboration.
Because of its strategic location in the American capital, Washington, DC, Georgetown University has been influential in training diplomatic and political leaders from many countries. As a sister Jesuit institution, XLC hopes to establish a working relationship with Georgetown.
Thai Jesuit Region Superior Fr Agustinus Sugiyo Pitoyo SJ and XLC staff and Jesuits met with Dr Banchoff. The sharing of a few XLC students on their lives as members of ethnic minorities and their dreams was a wonderful kickoff to the meeting.
The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss in greater detail XLC’s mission and vision, legal standing and curriculum development. After much sharing of viewpoints, XLC and Georgetown University agreed to collaborate in the areas of, but not limited to, research on indigenous people, scholarships for outstanding XLC students, faculty development and faculty exchange. The details of which are still to be worked out.
“Aligned with the vision of its Global Engagement, Georgetown University is committed to support the development of XLC in its educational and outreach programmes,” said Dr Banchoff.
XLC, with generous support from Bangkok Bank, organised a gala dinner for Dr Banchoff on May 3 at the prestigious Bangkok Club in Bangkok. Dr Banchoff spoke on “Georgetown and Global Engagement” while XLC Vice Director for Formation Fr Thomas Michel SJ presented the establishment and progress of XLC. About a hundred guests consisting of Catholic business and academic leaders, alumni of Georgetown University, and friends and benefactors of XLC attended the event.
Two days later, on May 5, Dr Banchoff visited the XLC campus in Mae Chan, Chiang Rai, to officiate at the ribbon cutting ceremony of the new three-storey dormitory for girls, which will serve XLC’s new freshman class who arrived at the end of April. Construction on the Boys’ Dormitory is now in full swing and is due to be finished by the end of the year.
“XLC looks to Georgetown and other Jesuit universities for support and assistance as our fledgling institution continues to develop in terms of students, teaching staff and material presence,” said Fr Michel. “We are encouraged by the interest shown in XLC by Georgetown and other well-established universities inspired by the principles of Jesuit education.”
