On May 1, Fr Dan Ross (CHN) wrote: “For several years I have been working with my present and former students on various cross cultural projects in Southeast and East Asia. Some of these have been in the Philippines and China, but more have been in Cambodia. The efforts have been under the overall idea of finding ways to improve undergraduate university education.
Officers of the international programs of the different schools under the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) umbrella met on December 7 at the Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines. They shared their respective international programs and discussed possible partnerships such as student and faculty exchange. This activity was one of the results of the AJCU meeting held last August 21-22, 2007.
On November 7, there was a consultation on the campus ministry apostolate, in view of integrating this apostolate under the Secretariat for Higher Education (AJCU-EAO). It was chaired by Fr Joel Tabora and was attended by two Jesuits from Thailand, Frs Maharsono Probho and Vinai Boonlue, together with Jesuits and lay partners from the High School and the Loyola Campus Ministry Office of Ateneo de Manila University and from Ateneo de Naga University.
Fr Louis Gendron, in his province letter dated October 24, wrote, “Today I was in Beijing for a meeting of the Board of Directors of The Beijing Center, and I am transiting in Macau on my way to Taipei, where we have a meeting of the Board of Trustees of Fu Jen University. I bring with me two new books published by Fr Ron Anton and his collaborators at the Historical Archives of Beijing.
The Colloquium of Jesuit School Board Members was held in Cebu, Philippines on August 3 – 6. There were 47 participants coming from Japan, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Philippines, Micronesia, Indonesia, East Timor, Australia and Indonesia. More than half of them are lay.
On July 31, the Adhi Luhur Jesuit High School at Nabire (Papua) in cultural way celebrated Saint Ignatius day with a blessing of the Le Cocq d’Armandville chapel in its campus.
Fr Provincial Priyono Marwan presided the Eucharist in the beautiful 300-seat chapel. Fr Le Cocq d’Armandville SJ died in Papua in 1896 (www.usd.ac.id/adhiluhur/Kolese.html).
In Hong Kong last March 11, there was a one-day intensive conversation about the intellectual apostolate in China. Fr Nicolas Standaert, one of the “consultants” of the Chinese Province, was invited to propose questions for reflection and chair the meeting.
The Constitutions and By-Laws of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities-East Asia and Oceania (AJCU-EAO) were revised and ratified after the General Assembly in Seoul last August 22-23, 2006. The change was adopted to preserve the camaraderie and friendship that had developed over the years among many Presidents, and also to place the responsibility for the association with the heads of the higher-education institutions or endeavors.
On August 4, the delegates to the regional meeting of secretaries of Jesuit education arrived in Yogyakarta. They are Frs Yoshio Kajiyama (JPN), Eric Velandria, representing of Fr James O’Donnell (PHI), Stephen Chow (CHN), Jim Croghan (MIC), Gerry Healy (ASL) and Heru Hendarto (IDO). They were billeted at Kolese Santo Ignatius, the Indonesia province’s formation house (theologate) for scholastics.