Activities

WG8: Personal and Social Impact of Formative Proposals Related to Faith and Spirituality in Higher Education

How do faith and spirituality influence university life? Are these dimensions sufficiently considered to allow an entire area of knowledge to emerge? Are they relevant only to Catholic, Christian, or other faith-based universities, or to all institutions of higher education? And ultimately, is this line of research of interest to society as a whole? These questions call for a structured and multidisciplinary inquiry, grounded in research and collective reflection. Working Group 8 (WG8) was established to address these questions in depth, through an international and collaborative academic approach. The Group aims to explore the role of faith and spirituality in university environments, focusing on key areas such as:

Campus life and atmosphere
Students’ sense of meaning in their studies
Teaching and administrative staff’s sense of purpose
The social impact of integrating spirituality into academic contexts
The contribution of spiritual and religious dimensions to professional development

WG8 promotes systematic analysis, evidence-based discussion, and interdisciplinary dialogue. Its objective is to evaluate current practices, identify opportunities for innovation, and propose frameworks that allow for a meaningful integration of faith and spirituality in higher education.

A key source of inspiration for WG8 was the international conference “Towards a Polyhedric Vision: Pastoral Care in Catholic Universities”, held in Vatican City in November 2023. The event provided a space for chaplains, academic leaders, and pastoral professionals to reflect on the relevance of spirituality in education. In his address, Pope Francis underlined the importance of appreciating differences, accompanying with care, and acting with courage—principles that inform the direction of WG8’s work. The insights produced by this Working Group will contribute to a broader academic and societal conversation on how spiritual and religious dimensions can enrich university life, not only within faith-based institutions but across the entire higher education landscape.

WG7: Rethinking Internationalisation
of Higher Education

This Working Group promotes the mapping of practices of IoHE aiming at improving international understanding and reciprocity in cross-border Higher Education carried out in the SACRU Universities representative of different geographical areas. The task is to investigate, in a comparative perspective, the underpinning principles, the agents involved, the governance structures and the ultimate goals of those experiences of IoHE, which may be conducive to alternative and more inclusive approaches to internationalization for the Common Good.

This project aims to offer alternative perspectives on internationalisation against a fragile geopolitical background by providing both an empirical and theoretical contribution to the current debate on definitions of internationalisation. Adherence to the construction of internationalisation as physical student mobility has contributed to a narrow vision for internationalisation, enabling a continued over-emphasis on elite Anglo-European perspectives in international education. Broader conceptualisations of internationalisation are necessary, including thinking about the role of knowledge generation as an integral part of internationalisation.

WG6: Gender Equity in the University

This interdisciplinary Group was created to advance gender equity in SACRU member Universities. Since its institution, the Group has:

Collected copies of existing university gender equity plans
European members presented an overview of their university gender plans
Assessed how SACRU member universities are performing across a range of standard metrics

The main goal of the Group in the long term is to identify best practices, including a leadership mentorship model.

SACRU-Centesimus Annus research “More Women’s Leadership” was presented at Expo Dubai

Promoted by the Centesimus Annus Foundation and SACRU, the scientific initiative aims to identify a new model for social inclusion directed at breaking down the barriers that hinder women’s access to top positions. The final results of the survey will be premiered to the Holy Father

On Sunday 6th, March 2022, at 6. p.m. Dubai Time (3 p.m. CET), the Italian Pavilion at the Universal Expo in Dubai hosted the presentation of the international research project “More Women’s Leadership for a Better World.” The project is a joint initiative realized by Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation (CAPPF) and SACRU.

The event preceded World Women’s Day by two days. It was attended in Dubai by Franco Anelli, Rector of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, SACRU Secretary-General, Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of the Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa, and Silvia Rigato, Managing Director at Accenture. Anna Maria Tarantola, President of the CAPP Foundation, and Lisa Sowle Cahill, Professor of Ethics at Boston College, were present remotely. Aida Al Busaidy, Senior Advisor at the Dubai Economic and Tourism Department, moderated the presentation.

As the full title indicates – “More Women’s leadership for a better world: care as a driver for our Common Home” – the research project aims to identify a new model of solidarity, inclusion, and sustainable development, which focuses precisely on the increased presence of women in decision-making roles. It is also about women who show a remarkable ability to carefully provide for the needs of people and the planet and care for the common good with a long-term vision. These characteristics are essential in the current health, environmental and social crisis context. The research is conducted in ten countries – where the SACRU and Centesimus members are based – and the final results will be presented after the summer at the Holy See.

SACRU-Centesimus Annus research “More Women’s Leadership” was presented at Expo Dubai

Promoted by the Centesimus Annus Foundation and SACRU, the scientific initiative aims to identify a new model for social inclusion directed at breaking down the barriers that hinder women’s access to top positions. The final results of the survey will be premiered to the Holy Father

WG5: Best Science for a Nourished Planet

This interdisciplinary group is composed of professors and students in food engineering, food science, and biotechnology to address specific objectives:

1) To study and analyze real-life problems associated with food products development.

2) To identify and compare the current food safety regulations in each country.

3) To assess the importance of food safety in the development of innovative food products.

4) To create a space for students’ exchange.

To foster international cooperation between different Universities and Research Centers, the International Food Safety Working Group aims to discuss relevant issues in developing innovative food products and their food safety regulations.

The group’s activities will be focused on once-a-month lectures (online and following the flipped class methodology), guided by representatives of each University, and student group discussions. The lectures and discussion will focus on product development and general characteristics, risk assessment, hazard characterization, mitigation, and regulation compliance.

Students will attend the lectures, work on the assigned topic (in teams), and present results following a predetermined structure. Initial activities will focus on new food products from cultured laboratory meat.

WG4:Artificial Intelligence, Agency
and the Human Person

This group examines the nature of AI, and ethical challenges related to AI, focusing on fundamental questions such as:

What does it mean to be an agent, and how are agency and receptivity intertwined?
What is the relationship between agency and life, or between agency and (self)consciousness?
What are the distinctive features of human agency?
How does agency related to meaning in life and to well-being?
Which aspects of human agency could (or should) be supplemented by intelligent machines?
What applications of AI may frustrate ethically significant aspect of human agency?

WG3: Family Life

The main topics of this Working Group are: Year Family Amoris Laetitia; Foster Families; Care and Adoption. As far as the former is concerned, there are three points to study:

Being parents today
Family as a social Subject
Couples in crisis

With regards to Foster Families Care and Adoption, the Working Group will have the opportunity to make use of the diversity of countries represented by its members.

Internationalisation SubCommittee

The Internationalisation SubCommittee’s role is to support and advise the SACRU Executive on internationalisation and to report on key global issues in higher education. Specifically, Sub Committee has responsibility for developing initiatives that enable active and ongoing student and staff collaboration between member institutions, with a strong focus on research.

Lines of action:

To develop SACRU’s Internationalisation Strategy and enabling projects to implement the SACRU Strategy and to support student, staff and higher degree research collaboration between member institutions.
To provide recommendations to the SACRU Executive regarding international program and policy development, and the roles of and responsibilities for SACRU members in matters relating to internationalisation.
To monitor and report on the implementation of SACRU’s Internationalisation Strategy and provide advice to the SACRU Executive in relation to issues that may arise in relation to the strategy’s implementation.
To monitor and report to the SACRU Executive on areas of risk that may impact on SACRU’s international collaborations and develop plans and actions aimed at risk minimisation.

WG2: Catholic Identity and Laudato Si’, The Common Home and Social Justice

This interdisciplinary group came to life to integrate Laudato Si’ Principles in the heart of SACRU Universities through research, teaching, and service. Three objectives are considered for the work of this group in the following couple of years:

Create evidence on how LS is integrated with our campus life
Strengthen the role of our universities in research and public engagement-thus promoting LS principles outside the university
Establish a dialogue with secular universities.

WG8: Personal and Social Impact of Formative Proposals Related to Faith and Spirituality in Higher Education

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WG8

Miguel Ángel Pulido-Rodríguez (Chair)

Heather Rowan-Kenyon

Meghan Sweeney

Enzo Viscardi

Matteo Tolomelli

Roberto Maier

Gianluca Zuccaro

Alessandro Mantini

Joao M. Duque

Carmo Themudo

Àngel Jesús Navarro

Jordi Sánchez Torrents

Juan Ramón La Parra Martínez

Anna Eva Jarabo

WG7: Rethinking Internationalisation of Higher Education

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WG7

Gerardo Blanco (Co-Chair)

Rita Locatelli (Co-Chair)

Amanda Murphy

Catherine Montgomery

Olivia Mair

Naoki Umemiya

Takehito Kamata

Miki Sugimura

Daniela Veliz Calderon

Ana Luisa Muñoz

Patrícia Oliveira-Silva

Mellita Jones

WG6: Gender Equity in the University

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WG6

Summer Hawkins (Co-Chair)

Matteo Avogaro (Co-Chair)

Anna Gines

Anna Berga Timoneda

Isabel Gil

Carla Ganito

Claudia Manzi

Lilian Ferrer

Silvana Zanlungo

Pilar Bonta

Marcia Nina Bernardes

Lourdes Maria Silva de Souza

Mari Miura

Anna Phillips

SACRU-Centesimus Annus research “More Women’s Leadership” was presented at Expo Dubai

Promoted by the Centesimus Annus Foundation and SACRU, the scientific initiative aims to identify a new model for social inclusion directed at breaking down the barriers that hinder women’s access to top positions. The final results of the survey will be premiered to the Holy Father

SACRU-CAPPF at Expo Dubai

Program

SACRU-Centesimus Annus research “More Women’s Leadership” was presented at Expo Dubai

Promoted by the Centesimus Annus Foundation and SACRU, the scientific initiative aims to identify a new model for social inclusion directed at breaking down the barriers that hinder women’s access to top positions. The final results of the survey will be premiered to the Holy Father

SACRU-CAPPF at Expo Dubai

Program

WG5: Best Science for a Nourished Planet

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WG5

Daniel Garrido (Co-Chair)

Pedro Bouchon (Co-Chair)

Wendy Franco

Eugenia Olivares

Fernando Mardones

Bo Wang

Glenn Gaudette

Thais Louise Gurjão de Carvalho

Paula Teixeira

Alicia Orta Ramirez

Xavier Ortiz

Pablo Leivar

Paolo Ajmone Marsan

Pier Sandro Cocconcelli

WG4:Artificial Intelligence, Agency and the Human Person

Publication

Why AGI could not be (just) a tool: goals, life, and general intelligence

Seminar

Towards A Virtue Ethics for Autonomous Vehicles

Publication

Where lies the grail? AI, common sense, and human practical intelligence

MEMBERSHIP OF THE WG4

Micah Lott (Co-Chair)

WG7: Rethinking Internationalisation
of Higher Education

WG4:Artificial Intelligence, Agency
and the Human Person