4th Summit of the International Association of Jesuit Engineering and Sciences Schools IAJES
Author: IAJES Team
The 4th Summit of IAJES was held at XIM University, in Bhubaneswar, India from July 10th to 14th. The Summit was presided by Dr Rosa Nomen from IQS in Barcelona, Spain, the Association's outgoing president. Representatives from 9 countries, 23 universities and over 40 delegates worldwide participated in the event. The participation of Fr. Antony Uvari S.J. Vice-chancellor of XIM University and Fr. Joseph Christie S.J., Secretary of Higher Education of the Society of Jesus was a must for all the assistants and demonstrates the importance of such networks, in the form of associations, for the Society of Jesus.
The Summit underscored the immense value of collaboration and networking among educational institutions worldwide. When Jesuit Schools and Universities come together, we can create a dynamic platform that fosters:
Enhanced Learning and Teaching:Collaborative efforts enable the sharing of best practices, resources, and methodologies, enhancing the quality of education we provide to our students.
Innovative Research:Joint research initiatives and cross-disciplinary projects can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and solutions to global challenges.
Professional Development:Networking offers opportunities for professional growth through exposure to diverse perspectives and expertise.
Global Impact:By working together, we amplify our impact on education and society, promoting the Jesuit values of excellence, service, and social justice on a global scale.
One of the achievements of the meeting was the inclusion in the IAJES community of Jesuit schools that offer education in General Sciences. Integrating Experimental Sciences with Engineering can profoundly enhance our educational and research landscape. This synergy will foster interdisciplinary approaches, innovative problem-solving, and comprehensive understanding, ultimately benefiting our students.
Carlos Rivas, from UCA El Salvador, Raul García from ITESO México and Pascal Berthouloux from ICAM France were elected president, vice-president and secretary respectively for the 2024-2026 period. Small changes in the Governing rules were approved during the Summit: 1) The elimination of the former Executive Committee, 2) the nomination of a Regional Committee, the former Governing Board with a Chair, 3) maintaining the Operational Committee, but with the nomination of a Chair, and 4) enlarger the Governing Board with three members, the Chair of the Regional Committee, Siddhartan Govindasamy from Boston College USA, the Chair of the Operational Committee, Arpita Jena, from XIM University India, and the past president, Rosa Nomen.
All of this aims to increase the number of regions represented on the Governing Board, advance global engineering and sciences within the Jesuit tradition, address global challenges, and promote the common good through innovation and collaboration.
Over the next two years, we will continue to bring together the universities of the IAJES network in existing and future projects.
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