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s2smodern

The Steering Committee of the Jesuit higher education in Europe and the Near East gathered in Brussels to envision collaboration across provinces

A metaphor we could use for higher education institutions could be the one of “trees”. Trees are located in one position and stay there (generally) for the rest of their lives. They worry about the soil and nature around them not about the conditions thousands of kilometres away from them. They also provide nutrients for the fauna near them, the insects and animals that they feed are those in their areas. What incentive or what reason whatsoever would they have to work with other the flora and fauna from far away?

Higher education institutions act the same way. Their focus and tendency is to look at their own feet, at their own context and reality. They tend to have a difficult time to look beyond their own geographical context. This makes sense since it has been their only option and mission for hundreds of years, we just need to look at how many institutions are named after the town or city they are build in. But now the new challenges we face as societies asks them to look up from time to time and see the bigger picture. We are starting to understand that global challenges need to be addressed together as a single body comprised of different small parts. It is not only a matter of what is right but also a matter of survival, if we are not fruitful and relevant for the needs of the world around us we tend to become unnecessary and will eventually disappear.

This rather dark perspective has an opposite and brighter side to it. We need to look at this as an opportunity to deepen in what makes the institutions both “ignatian” and “higher education” apostolates. This has been the mission entrusted to a steering committee formed by Fr. Philip Geister SJ (Newman Institute), Fr. Philip Endean SJ (Centre Sèvres), and Fr. Jaime Oraá SJ (UNIJES). The rectors of the Jesuit higher education institutions in Europe and the Near East asked this group of men how can the network deepen its collaboration and on November the 2nd they started this journey. The meeting started and finished with a sense of consolation, the network has been strengthening its ties for some time now and it is in a rather good position to carryout new and challenging initiatives.

We are giving the first steps of the journey and we continue to ask ourselves: How can we maintain our local roots and at the same time offer our fruits to the whole world?

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s2smodern