The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP) has committed to support the six priorities of the newly established International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) whose mission and purpose is to “contribute to the progress of the Society’s apostolate of higher education through the application of its decrees and documents in order to promote the development of a more just and humane world for the greater glory and honour of God”.
The six priorities cover civic and political leadership formation, education of the marginalised, environmental and economic justice, interreligious dialogue and understanding, leadership in the Ignatian way of proceeding, and peace and reconciliation.
The Board of Directors of AJCU-AP approved to support these priorities through institution to institution collaborations during its meeting on July 13, right after the world meeting of Jesuit universities and colleges at Deusto University, Bilbao, Spain.
AJCU-AP President Dr Eka Priyatma shares AJCU-AP’s feedback on the IAJU charter and priorities
Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ and Secretary of Higher Education Fr Michael J Garanzini SJ signed the Charter along with representatives of each of the six Jesuit Conferences. Two conversations were allotted for the AJCU-AP delegates to discuss the Charter and its priorities and to present their input and feedback. AJCU-AP delegates also voted on the two JCAP representatives to the IAJU Board of Directors, Dr Johanes Eka Priyatma, President of Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta and AJCU-AP President, and Fr Jose Ramon T Villarin SJ, President of Ateneo de Manila University.
The four-day meeting from July 9 to 12 was attended by more than 300 leaders of Jesuit higher education institutions, including 21 representatives from the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP). It explored the most urgent priorities of Jesuit institutions and sought to establish a network that will help them to face those challenges in the spirit of the call of General Congregation 36 for greater use of networks and more intentional collaboration for the promotion of faith, justice and reconciliation.
In his address to the assembly, Fr Sosa spoke of two current challenges of the “magis” at Jesuit universities. The first is “overcoming the geographic and social boundaries within which our university institutions operate”, and the second, handed down by General Congregation 36, is in “promoting a culture of safeguarding vulnerable people”, which means promoting a “cultural change” that touches on the unjust structures of current societies.
Fr General Arturo Sosa signs the IAJU charter with Secretary for Higher Education Fr Michael Garanzini SJ
Fr General said that the only way to respond to these challenges is through collaboration.
“By using the current means available, collaboration can be increased and become more efficient through networking”, he said, adding that collaboration involves “a culture of generosity, which overcomes the tendency to look after and increase resources only for the use of each individual university”.
In a video produced by IAJU, Fr Villarin said that he had been moved deeply by the discussions, particularly on the session on higher education reaching out the margins. “I think this is something we still need to strengthen more – how our own gifts can be shared with the world,” he said.
“It is a difficult world, a world that is divided by many ideas, ideologies and many value systems, and yet here we are Jesuit institutions, Jesuit colleagues, partners, collaborators. We come together out of love – out of love of God and out of love for one another. I think this is a strength to be able to talk, to listen and to move together to transform the world. I hope that this blessing will continue to grow in the many years ahead of us.”
Watch Fr Jose Ramon Villarin SJ share about his IAJU 2018 experience
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e3UOG5enSk
Related articles:
Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) 2018
IAJU charter
Six strategic priorities of IAJU
