University President attends 27th General Assembly of the International Federation of Catholic Universities
The meeting is held every three years marks the conclusion of the Federation's activities during a three-year period. It brings together rectors and presidents of member universities to exchange views and reflect upon common issues.
photo_camera On this occasion, the 27th FIUC General Assembly reflected on the theme “Legacy and Transformation in a World of Change: Catholic Higher Education and the Future.”
From July 30 to August 3, the 27th General Assembly of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) was held at Boston College under the theme "Legacy and Transformation in a World of Change: Catholic Higher Education and the Future."
The General Assembly reflected on how to fulfill the threefold mission of Catholic universities: teaching, research and service to the communities and the Church, in order to promote the greater good.
According to President Ignacio Sánchez, these meetings called by the General Assembly are of great importance for promoting dialogue and the exchange of experiences among presidents, vice presidents and those in charge of the various areas of university development.
“In the exchange we can find new areas of collaboration and development as was seen in this meeting, where the topics summarize the most important challenges of our institutions. After the pandemic, the enthusiasm for collaboration has grown, which opens up new opportunities and fruitful projects for the good of our communities,” he said.
Four-Day Meeting
The opening ceremony featured remarks by:
- Father William P. Leahy, S.J., President of Boston College
- Dr. Isabel Capeloa Gil, President of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC), current Rector of the Portuguese Catholic University
In addition to greetings and remote messages from:
- Vincenzo Zani, Secretary of the Congregation for Catholic Education
- Antonio Manual de Oliveira Guterres, Secretary General of the United Nations
The inaugural conference was given by Monsignor Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, under the title “Making the Human World More Just.”
On the second day, the central topic of the activities was “Intellectual Tradition and Catholic Universities Today.” During the afternoon of that day, activities focused on “Global Crises and Catholic University Collaboration.”
The discussions on the third day focused on “The Impact of Catholic Higher Education: Compelling Testimonials.”
The central conference of the day addressed “Catholic Education and the Future of Work,” with a panel discussion on the impact of Catholic higher education.
The theme of the fourth day was “Catholicism and New University Leadership."
Three parallel sessions were also held:
- Community building in times of crisis, lessons learned from women leaders
- Preparing leaders in/for Catholic higher education
- Maintaining the mission at a time of budget reductions
The last session featured the participation of:
- President Ignacio Sánchez
- Dr. Franco Anelli, Rector of the Catholic University of Sacro Cuore (Italy)
- Dr. Phon Sophal, Rector of the St. Paul Institute of Cambodia and a representative from Boston College
The speakers shared their views and experiences, followed by an interesting dialogue with the rest of the session participants.
This was followed by the administrative session where the election process took place, and the current president was re-elected. After Holy Communion, the president of IFCU hosted a dinner for the participants.
A ceremony for the presentation of the Ex Corde Ecclesiae medals and the Sciat Vt Serviat Award was held during the event.
The General Assembly concluded with a message from the president-elect, after which the Administrative Committee met.
This was followed by a farewell dinner that served as the opening of the General Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities, which took place the following week.
International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU)
IFCU is an international non-governmental organization, which currently has more than two hundred member institutions.
It was founded in 1924 and is linked to the Holy See through the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Its mission is to contribute to the progress of knowledge and its applications in the construction of a more just and humane world, in the light of reason and faith.
Its activities are based on a three-year Strategic Plan.
Its government is constituted by:
- An Executive Committee composed of:
- The President (currently Dr. Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of the Portuguese Catholic University)
- Three Vice Presidents (Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America)
- The General Secretary
- A Board of Directors, comprising representatives from all continents.
President Ignacio Sánchez participated in this Council as representative of Latin America.
The members of the Board are responsible for, among other duties:
- Ensuring that the orientations and directives received from the General Assembly are respected
- Approving the Strategic Plan
- Admitting new members and associates
- Dealing with all matters of importance to the Federation
The next assembly will be held in 2025, in Guadalajara (Mexico). It will be the 28th General Assembly of the IFCU and will be hosted by Universidad del Valle de Atemajac (UNIVA). This will mark the 100th anniversary of the creation of the Federation.
