The AI Frontier and the Jesuit Universities
Scholars, researchers, and academic leaders from Jesuit universities around the world gathered from 9 to 12 March 2026 at the Ateneo de Manila University for the Inaugural Symposium of the Global Research Alliance of Jesuit Universities (GRAJU), marking a major milestone in global collaboration among Jesuit institutions of higher education.
The symposium brought together scholars from leading Jesuit universities across Asia, Europe, and the Americas to explore the theme “The AI Frontier and the Distinctives of Global Jesuit Higher Education”. The gathering aims to foster dialogue on how emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence (AI), are reshaping higher education, research, and the formation of future leaders.
The symposium began with an inaugural session where Fr Fernando Ponce, SJ, on behalf of the Secretary for Higher Education of the General Curia, addressed how Artificial Intelligence has become a new frontier for Jesuit Higher Education. You can find the full text at the end of this article.
The symposium provided a platform for participants to present research, exchange ideas, and develop collaborative initiatives addressing the opportunities and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence in higher education. Discussions spanned topics such as AI in Ignatian pedagogy, ethical and policy implications of emerging technologies, AI-enabled research and innovation, and new models of global academic collaboration.
Beyond academic presentations, the program included research dialogues, networking sessions, and opportunities for scholars to explore future partnerships across institutions. Organizers hope the symposium will lead to joint research projects, collaborative publications, and new initiatives that deepen cooperation among Jesuit universities worldwide.
By hosting the inaugural gathering, Ateneo de Manila University underscores its commitment to advancing global research collaboration while ensuring that technological innovation in higher education remains grounded in human dignity, ethical reflection, and service to society.
As the first major convening of the alliance, the GRAJU Symposium represents the beginning of a new chapter in Jesuit higher education, one that seeks to harness global scholarship and emerging technologies in pursuit of a more just, humane, and hopeful future.
The Global Research Alliance of Jesuit Universities is an international research network established in 2025 to strengthen scholarly collaboration among Jesuit universities worldwide. Founding institutions include Ateneo de Manila University (Philippines), Fordham University and Georgetown University (USA), ITESO (Guadalajara, Mexico), Sogang University (South Korea), University of Deusto (Spain), and the University of Namur (Belgium), united by a shared commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and research that serves the global common good.
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