Author: Communications Team, Universidad Loyola Andalucía

Universidad Loyola Andalucía hosted a working session at its Seville campus with rectors and senior leaders from the institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities in Africa and Madagascar (AJCU-AM). These sessions built on prior meetings held throughout 2024 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Zimbabwe, which gradually shaped a group of institutions around an initial proposal of multilateral collaboration. The program provided a space to exchange ideas about the structure of the group, identify priority areas for collaboration, and explore funding opportunities for joint international projects.

“Africa remains a priority for the Society of Jesus. I am pleased to see this meeting bringing together AJCU-AM institutions and Universidad Loyola Andalucía, fostering a spirit of collaboration and shared mission. I hope this partnership will help strengthen Jesuit higher education across the African continent,” said Fr. Joseph Christie, SJ, Secretary for Higher Education of the Society of Jesus and President of the IAJU.

“I am very optimistic. I am very happy with the meeting that we had here. I am committed to supporting the universities through the African and Madagascar Conference” shared Fr Jose Minaku, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM).

Several priority collaboration areas were identified during the meeting, including:

1. Faculty and staff development to enhance institutional capacity
2. Joint research initiatives, particularly in healthcare and medical services
3. Technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship for economic development
4. Environmental sustainability and food security
5. Migrations, peace and conflict resolution

The first initiative to be launched will be a capacity-building program for leadership and administrative development across participating institutions.

This joint working group will also assess opportunities to raise funds for the development of additional initiatives and projects. If successful, a coordination office will be established based at Universidad Loyola Andalucía.

All participants reaffirmed their collective commitment to work together to promote shared priorities and strengthen institutional partnerships. This commitment will be formalized in a multilateral agreement among participating higher education institutions.

The working sessions brought together the leaders of the following institutions: Arrupe Jesuit University (Zimbabwe), Loyola University Congo (DRC), Kosyam Jesuit University of Science (Burkina Faso) who joined remotely, Magis University (Madagascar), Jesuit University of Abidjan (CERAP) (Ivory Coast), Hekima University College (Kenya), Proposed Hekima University (Kenya), University Hospital Complex (CHU) Bon Samaritain, N'Djaména (Chad), Universidad Loyola Andalucía (Spain).

During the meeting, Universidad Loyola Andalucía signed bilateral agreements of collaboration with the participating institutions.

Underscoring the significance of this collaborative initiative for the Society of Jesus, the sessions in Seville were also attended by Fr. Joseph Christie, SJ, Secretary for Higher Education, Fr. Fratern Masawe, SJ, Assistant “ad providentiam” and Regional Assistant for Africa, and Fr. José Minaku, SJ, President of the Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar (JCAM). Fr. François Kaboré, SJ, President of AJCU-AM and Rector of Kosyam Jesuit University of Science, joined several of the sessions online.

“It is possible that we can work together, we can bring the best of what we have in Africa and share it with Loyola, Loyola also can bring its expertise and best of what it has and share it with us. We want to set up an example for the other groups in IAJU to emulate that it’s possible for the south and the north to work together as Jesuit institutions” affirmed Fr Evaristus Ekwueme, SJ, Vice-Chancellor of Arrupe Jesuit University.

During the sessions, Universidad Loyola Andalucía presented its academic and institutional capacities, with contributions from its deans and the leadership of the School of Engineering, to support future collaboration. The university also shared its experience with the Erasmus+ program and highlighted capacity-building and development initiatives led by the ETEA Foundation.

Several international foundations also joined the discussions, expressing their interest in the initiative and exploring potential funding avenues for projects that may emerge from this group.

Dr. Fabio Gómez-Estern, Rector of Universidad Loyola Andalucía, recalled how, during the inauguration of the Dos Hermanas campus in November 2019, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Arturo Sosa, SJ, described the university's geographic location as a “bridge region between a young, thriving, growing yet poor Africa and a solid, wealthy but now disoriented Europe.”

Gómez-Estern added: “Even then, Fr. Sosa called on our university to deepen its collaboration within the Jesuit networks, emphasizing the importance of working together to tackle the world’s great challenges. Since then, Loyola has strengthened its ties in Africa, facilitating the mobility of more than 65 students, faculty, and staff over the past five years. These exchanges have enabled them to engage with the diverse realities of Jesuit higher education institutions in Africa and Madagascar and have positioned them as bridge-builders among our institutions. These mobilities and exploratory visits have gradually led to a series of organic initiatives in internationalization, research, and capacity development.”

“During the AJCU-AM Assembly held at Kosyam Jesuit University of Science (Burkina Faso) in July 2024, we agreed that the time had come to take a step further—coordinating a more ambitious collaboration program to provide mutual support, in line with the mission of the Society of Jesus and the goals of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU). This meeting has been the fruit of that vision,” the Rector concluded.