The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a very important collaborative global membership community of schools and higher education institutions that supports a concrete international accreditation for primary and secondary schools. The Council of International Schools (CIS) Global Forum 2025 took place on November 13-14 and transformed Seville into a major international meeting point for educational leadership, drawing nearly 900 admissions and guidance professionals from around the globe. The Society of Jesus participated with a coordinated delegation led by Fr José Alberto Mesa, SJ, Secretary of Father General for Secondary and Pre-Secondary Education.

Universidad Loyola Andalucía, the only university member of CIS in southern Spain, served as the strategic host. Loyola organized the pre-forum workshop “Bridging the Gap Between Schools and Universities”, which convened over 100 international participants to address issues such as the school-to-university transition, mental health, personalized guidance, and international mobility. The Future Students Office, led by Shane Martin McLoughlin and Borja Martín Garrido, coordinated institutional representation, academic programming, and event logistics, with additional support from the Regional Government of Andalusia and the City of Seville.

Student engagement played a significant role: about 30 Loyola students served as ambassadors, supporting operations and strengthening the visibility of Jesuit identity. The event also brought together a strong group of Jesuit universities from Spain (UNIJES), Latin America (AUSJAL), and the United States (AJCU), demonstrating the cohesion of the global Jesuit higher education network under the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU).

Jesuit schools and networks were represented in a unified way through leaders such as Adriana Cárdenas, Executive Secretary of FLACSI; Mercedes Pastor, representative of EDUCSI; and Luis Blanco of Colegio San José (Fundación Loyola). Their coordinated presence highlighted the Jesuit Global Network of Schools as a global educational ecosystem.

During the high-level plenary sessions, Fr Mesa joined a major panel on the future of international education together with Jane Larsson (Executive Director, CIS), Marvin Bakker (Director General, EAIE), Jenny Richard (CEO, Common Application), Ángel Pérez (CEO, NACAC - USA), and Paul Tilling (CEO, International Baccalaureate - IB).

Fr Mesa emphasized both the global reach of the Society of Jesus and the urgent need for stronger coordination between schools and universities in responding to the evolving challenges of international education.

In conclusion, the integrated participation of Jesuit leaders, schools, and universities reaffirmed the Society of Jesus as one of the world’s most influential educational actors. As strategic host, Universidad Loyola Andalucía strengthened its role as a bridge between secondary, higher, and global education, consolidating its leadership in internationalization, collaboration, and academic excellence in southern Spain.