杏MAP导航

By Vatican News

鈥淣ew Frontiers for University Leaders: The Future of Health and the University Ecosystem鈥�. This is the theme of a forum being held in Rome, dedicated to the topics and challenges currently driving university transformation.

University challenges

杏MAP导航 Francis outlined some of those challenges in his discourse. They include preparing new generations to become qualified professionals, but also 鈥減roponents of the common good, creative and responsible leaders in social and civil life, with a proper vision of the person and the world鈥�, he said.

Universities today 鈥渘eed to consider what contribution they can and must make to the integral health of the person and to an inclusive ecology鈥�, said the 杏MAP导航.

Catholic universities, in particular, need to become places 鈥渨here solutions for civil and cultural progress for individual persons and for humanity, marked by solidarity, are pursued with perseverance and professionalism鈥�, he said.

Techoscience

The 杏MAP导航 noted how the development of 鈥渢echnoscience鈥�, or the way humanity interacts with technology, is 鈥渄estined increasingly to influence people鈥檚 physical and psychological health鈥�.

We need to remember that all teaching 鈥渆ntails asking ourselves about the why鈥�, he said. 鈥淚t requires a reflection on the foundations and purposes of every discipline鈥�. Abstracting knowledge from its ethical dimension would mean abandoning the task of teaching, said the 杏MAP导航.

Epistemology

Facing the questions of 鈥渨hy鈥� involves the 鈥渢ypically epistemological character of education which concerns the whole span of knowledge鈥�, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis. 鈥淭he link between knowledge and purpose refers to the theme of intentionality and to the role of the subject in every cognitive process鈥�. Completely impersonal experiences do not exist, he said.  

In this light, universities have 鈥渁n intellectual and moral energy whose responsibility goes beyond the person to be educated and extends to the needs of all humanity鈥�, added the 杏MAP导航. 

University ecosystems

The moral imperative of the International Federation of Catholic Universities, said 杏MAP导航 Francis, is to achieve 鈥渁 more united international academic community鈥�, in order to develop 鈥渁 universal spirit aimed at increasing the quality of the cultural life of persons and of peoples鈥�.

University ecosystems develop, said the 杏MAP导航, 鈥渨hen every member of the university, by focusing on the whole person, cultivates a particular awareness of the context in which people live and grow, and of all that contributes to their advancement鈥�.

Mind and Heart

The formation of leaders achieves its goal, continued 杏MAP导航 Francis, when it imbues the academic years with developing both 鈥渢he mind and the heart, conscience, together with students鈥� practical abilities鈥�. The fruits of study must always have 鈥渁 relational and social purpose鈥�, stressed the 杏MAP导航. 

Saint John Henry Newman

杏MAP导航 Francis concluded with a quote from Cardinal John Henry Newman, patron of the Federation of Catholic Universities.

The Church, wrote Newman, 鈥渇ears no knowledge, but she purifies all; she represses no element of our nature, but cultivates the whole鈥�.