At 25 years of age, the Newman Institute remains one of the youngest Jesuit institutions of higher education. As the only Catholic institution of higher education in the Nordic countries, the Institute received official accreditation from the Swedish Government in 2010. Today, it offers bachelor’s and master’s programmes in theology, philosophy and culture, welcoming a diverse student body in a country where Catholics represent a small minority.

“Small is beautiful,” says President Philip Geister, SJ. “As a creative minority in a secular but open-minded Swedish society, the Newman Institute can make a substantial and distinctive contribution to public debate through its academic profile.”

The history of the Jesuits in Sweden is marked by a long absence: after being banned from the country for centuries, they returned only in the mid-19th century. Their contribution to intellectual and cultural life, however, soon took shape. In 1920, the Jesuits launched Signum, a cultural and intellectual journal whose work helped lay the foundations for the establishment of the Newman Institute in 2001.

The 25th anniversary is therefore not only a celebration of the Institute’s achievements, but also of a longer Jesuit tradition of intellectual engagement and dialogue in Sweden. We congratulate the Newman Institute on 25 years of commitment to Jesuit higher education and wish its community continued inspiration and success in its mission.

The Newman Institute is part of several higher education networks of the Society of Jesus, including the Kircher Network at the European level (under the JCEP) and the International Association of Jesuit Universities at the global level. As a result, the Newman Institute—despite being a small center—is connected with Jesuit institutions worldwide and benefits from their shared resources and educational programs.