IAJU Assembly 2025: Jesuit Universities Unite for Global Dialogue
“The university has the possibility to serve fraternal humanism, helping to create and sustain new social relationships based on brotherly love.”
The IAJU 2025 Assembly has begun!
On 30 June, the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, led by Fr Luis Fernando Munera, SJ (the Rector), and its International Affairs Office, welcomed the rectors of more than 180 Jesuit universities from around the world who, despite global challenges, are meeting for the third edition of this event to discuss the role of Jesuit education, as well as issues such as migration, sustainability, artificial intelligence, mental health, and secularization.
“The task of a university contributes to overcoming the sterile loneliness of human beings and moving toward the wisdom of fraternity, which is a force capable of overcoming selfishness, self-referentiality, indifference to the most vulnerable, and alterity without compassion and mutual aid; because all of this becomes the setting where evils such as inequality and authoritarianism are founded.” (Homily by Fr Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Cardinal Primate of Colombia)
Bogota is the official venue for this edition of the assembly, which will take place from June 30 to July 3. On the first day of this important meeting, the Jesuit complex in Bogota and its emblematic Church of San Ignacio welcomed the participants with a solemn Eucharist that officially opened the event. Monsignor Luis José Rueda Aparicio, Cardinal Primate of Colombia, emphasized the role of universities in the mission of building just societies based on love.
The Jesuit University is called to be a powerful center for the spread of Christ. To form men and women with the wisdom of the heart, professionals in love with Christ, capable of proclaiming him with their lives. “The world needs missionaries in love.” The challenge now is to engage in deep conversations, reflections that look to the future with hope, and shared ideas that build agreements that will position Jesuit education at the forefront of contemporary society.
During his speech to the IAJU assembly, Father General Arturo Sosa highlighted that fidelity to the task to which we have been called to in the universities of the Society of Jesus requires “deep rootedness in the identity that flows from our charism”. He stressed the importance of a creative presence and apostolic solidarity within our mission and underlined that our identity calls us to be agents of hope, justice, dialogue and reconciliation.
Take a moment to read the full text of Father General’s speech [PDF file].
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