On Thursday July 3rd, during final banquet of the Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) in Bogotá, the Jesuit network of universities awarded the 2025 Canisius medal, a recognition awarded by the IAJU to those providing an extraordinary service to Jesuit Higher Education. Among those awarded is the Ignatian Spiritualty Group, a group of Jesuits from the provinces of Spain, Portugal and Euro-Mediterranean that for 25 years have been doing a systematic academic research and publishing on Ignatian spirituality with the will to renew and spread its knowledge in the Society of Jesus. This group works in the framework of UNIJES, the network of Spanish Jesuit universities, as well as the Kirche network, the European network of Jesuit higher education. In fact, it was the Kircher Network who presented the group as a candidate for the award. The Canisius medal was presented by Fr. General, Arturo Sosa, and received by Ms. Ana García-Mina, Delegate for Higher Education of the Province of Spain representing the members of the Group of Ignatian Spirituality who could not travel to Bogotá.

Bogotá, July 2–3, 2025 — The International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) gathered 328 leaders—including rectors, presidents, faculty, and lay collaborators—from Jesuit institutions around the globe for its 2025 Assembly at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. The final day culminated in the conferral of the St. Peter Canisius Medal, honoring outstanding contributors to the mission of Jesuit higher education.

Assembly Themes: Responding to Global Challenges with a Jesuit Vision

• Opening Call: Father General Arturo Sosa challenged participants to become “witnesses of hope, creative presences, and spaces for dialogue,” rooted in Ignatian identity.

• Core Freestanding Sessions: Leaders reflected on transformative priorities, including environmental justice, student well‑being, democracy, secularism, migration, and AI ethics.

• Best Practices Showcased: Regional institutions presented innovative models—for example, Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia promoting spirituality in a Muslim-majority context, and initiatives across Africa and South Asia integrating ecology, technology, and social inclusion.

St. Peter Canisius Awardees: Service, Scholarship, & Solidarity

The IAJU Assembly concluded with the awarding of the St. Peter Canisius Medal, recognizing individuals and institutions whose dedication exemplifies Ignatian mission and impact in higher education.

In Europe (Kircher Network)

• The Ignatian Spirituality Group (GEI) of UNIJES was honored for almost 25 years of communal discernment, scholarship, and spiritual formation rooted in Ignatian values. Their major works—such as the Dictionary of Ignatian Spirituality and recent volumes compiling modern Jesuit voices—continue to serve Jesuit institutions worldwide.

North America

• Dr. John J. DeGioia, President Emeritus of Georgetown University, recognized as the first lay leader of a U.S. Jesuit university, honored for his transformational leadership, advocacy for justice, and commitment to cura personalis.

South Asia

• Fr. Leo D’Souza, SJ, a scientist and Jesuit educator, praised for pioneering biotechnology, establishing applied biology research in India, and integrating science, faith, and service in formation.

Asia‑Pacific

• St. Aloysius Gonzaga Institute (SAG‑IHS) in Myanmar honored for providing holistic Jesuit education in conflict-affected and ethnically diverse settings, building peace and leadership amid challenges.

Latin America

• The Ignatian University Leadership Program (PLIUL), with over 5,000 alumni across 16 universities in 12 countries, shaping young leaders in justice, spiritual discernment, and socio-political engagement.

Africa & Madagascar

• Fr. Fratern Masawe, SJ, recognized for his strategic leadership in Jesuit higher education in Africa—promoting culturally rooted, globally engaged institutions aligned with Ignatian mission.

A Visual Glimpse

Reflections & Forward Momentum

The IAJU 2025 Assembly reaffirmed a shared commitment to addressing urgent global challenges through Jesuit higher education—putting mission-driven collaboration, inclusion, and faith-rooted innovation front and center. At the same time, the St. Peter Canisius Medal ceremony offered a moment to celebrate those whose intellectual and spiritual service leads the way forward for the global Jesuit educational network.

As institutions commit to taking concrete steps—such as task forces on student well-being, AI and ethics working groups, and a new IAJU Desk for Global Collaboration—the Assembly makes clear: discernment, shared mission, and concrete action must go hand in hand in the years ahead