For eight years, the Magis Exchange Program has been forming students from Jesuit universities into global citizens. As the program enters a new stage, the Society of Jesus and the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) pause to give thanks for what these years have made possible.

Launched at the 2018 IAJU Assembly, Magis Exchange offers students the chance to study across borders, cultures and academic contexts. It is more than an academic mobility program: it embodies a shared commitment to forming young people ready to engage thoughtfully with the social and environmental challenges of our time.

Since it began, the program has brought together 42 Jesuit universities across six regions and enabled more than 200 students to take part in twelve cohorts. Along the way, students have followed the Global Environmental Citizenship Course and learned to value solidarity over strict reciprocity – while universities with limited international exposure have opened themselves to the wider world.

The fruits of the program are best told by the students themselves. Claudia María Chávez, from El Salvador, travelled to Guatemala and worked alongside the Jesuit Refugee Service. She came away convinced that being present and truly listening can change lives, and that transforming the world begins by allowing ourselves to be transformed by it.

“My volunteer work was a life-changing experience. I had the chance to be part of the Jesuit Refugee Service, and it was truly incredible to have the opportunity to be an agent of change through living and sharing with each of the migrants.

During my exchange, I learned that being present and truly listening can change lives, including my own. Every conversation, every glance, and every shared silence reminded me of the power of empathy. Each encounter was a lesson, and every story a call to act with heart, to engage with others through humanity and compassion.

It was then that I understood: transforming the world begins by allowing ourselves to be transformed by it. Throughout my experience, gratitude and admiration were always present towards my fellow cohort members and the people of Guatemala.”

For Paula Antonela Herrera Gutiérrez, the journey led to Kenya. What began as an act of faith became, in her words, a place that made her fall in love with life again – and a discovery of how deeply Africa and Latin America are connected through shared histories of struggle and hope.

“Going to Kenya wasn’t just a decision, it was an act of faith. Some people expressed concern, influenced by media headlines or social stereotypes. But I felt an unshakeable peace. I knew it was God who was sending me, and when God sends, He also provides.

Kenya was a place that made me fall in love with life again. It taught me a new way of understanding love, not just as a feeling, but as something alive in the everyday: care, respect, honesty, and mutual support. I met people who welcomed me like family, who listened with open hearts, who lived with simplicity and purpose. Through them, I encountered the sacred.

I arrived with a clear desire: to serve my country, to build bridges between people and ideas, and to help create community beyond borders. In Kenya, that desire became a life calling. I realized how deeply Africa and Latin America are connected, through shared histories of struggle, resistance, and hope. And in that mirror, my dreams grew larger.

This journey transformed me. It reminded me that faith is not passive. It’s about courageously stepping into the unknown, trusting that god will meet you there. And He did. In every detail. In every face. In every quiet moment of awe.

This exchange wasn’t just a trip. It was a miracle. A small piece of God’s dream for my life. And now I carry it with me, in who I am, and in who I am becoming.”

Fr Joseph Christie SJ, Secretary for Higher Education, has thanked all who have nurtured the program, especially Universidad Loyola Andalucía and its conveners. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana Bogotá will now coordinate the next stage of its growth.