CONVERSATIONS ON JESUIT HIGHER EDUCATION IN
EAST ASIA/OCEANIA, May 26-27, 2006, Philippines
THIRD CONVERSATION:
What do you think is the continuing role of AJCU-EAO? How do you see AJCU-EAO in the future?
1. THE ROLE OF AJCU IS TO BE THE STRUCTURE FOR HIGHER EDUCATIONAL APOSTOLATE FOR THE ASSISTANCY.
2. THE FOLLOWING LEVELS OF EXCHANGE AND COLLABORATION CAN BE PURSUED BY AJCU:
2.1. Promoting friendship, brotherhood, and support in leadership; realizing the pastoral and missionary aspects of or work. We are self-conscious that we are the Jesuit educational apostolate here and we take responsibility for it. This includes: sharing our respective stories and making room for the “mysteries” of life,
2.2. Shared discernment in mission in diversity at two levels: horizontal (institutions with institutions), and vertical (with Provincials, Assistants, General). This is geared toward an active enhancement (magis) of the shared Jesuit mission in education in EAO at various levels: better instruction, research, outreach, student and faculty exchange, benchmarking; enhancement of our man-woman power (Jesuit and lay) in terms of preparation for their work in university (e.g. training in Ignatian spirituality, Ignatian leadership, attracting Jesuits and missioning to university work, worldwide recruitment)
2.3. Taking responsibility for our Jesuit educational institutions in both traditional and creative senses. In our diversity, we can explore and work together on the Jesuit “brand” and its elements, e.g. Christian humanism, role of theology, philosophy, literature, sciences, social science, skills development, connectivity to problems of society in EAO, “takes care of the poor.”
2.4. Networking and working both among ourselves and beyond (intra and extra); to leverage with international Jesuit connections. We can begin by exploring possible practical entry points and opportunities at the ground level (e.g. concrete initiatives of individual schools): Japanese programs, China programs, leadership training programs, Asia regional programs and centers, student exchange programs, online courses, religious studies, board memberships.
2.5. Being a companion with each other. The Jesuit mission is bigger than the individual institutions: the faith-justice-culture-interreligious dialogue mission appropriated by the schools; articulated on the level of the Provincial (e.g. a policy paper on the educational apostolate), Assistancy, General; carried out on the level of the schools in the Provinces, Assistancy, and the world.
2.6. Strategic planning at the Assistancy level: identification and implementation of long-term strategies and priorities in apostolic works, formulation of vision-mission statement, and priority-ranking our apostolic works.
2.7. Internationalization of our universities and increasing the Asian character of our universities, given the changing Asian context, e.g. through exposure of students.
2.8. Building linkages and working toward building Asian identity, and the identity of the Society in Asia.
2.9. Assistance in the training of younger generation of Jesuit professors, to bridge the gap between the young and old generation of Jesuits.
2.10. Orientation of our lay co-workers in Jesuit spirituality and mission, teacher formation activities, etc.
2.11. Training of agents of transformation at the Asian level toward the formation of Asian identity, e.g. the experience of EAPI and SEARSOLIN, and collaboration on specific technology and development projects.
2.12. Focusing on leadership formation, particularly investing in those who will be carriers of values, and an opportunity to bring them together.
2.13. The continuation of regular conversation among ourselves.
2.14. Sharing of human resources among different Jesuit centers and institutions.
2.15. Maximizing the benefits of information and communication technology in our collaborative efforts.
3. CONCRETELY, IMMEDIATELY, AND REALISTICALLY, AJCU CAN PURSUE THE FOLLOWING:
3.1. On-going conversation among ourselves
3.2. Bilateral cooperation between and among AJCU member institutions: identifying points-of-entry toward developing programs together
3.3. Collaboration between and among regional centers on concrete projects
3.4. Waiting for and responding to the clarification and development of needs and demands from the ground level, and the discernment of appropriate AJCU response based on its own rhythm and evolving identity
3.5. Sustaining a common desire to make things work, to move people, to respond to needs and problems.
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