Report on the Meeting of the International Committee for
Jesuit Higher Education
Jesuit Curia, Rome
October 29 to 31, 2006
by Fr. Dan Ross, S.J.

Each year the major purpose of the ICJHE meeting in Rome has been to bring the Society’s Secretary for Education up-to-date on the activities, changes and plans of the different areas of the world we represent. Before the last worldwide meeting of the rectors/ presidents of the Jesuit universities and colleges in 2001 the committee gathered also to prepare for that meeting. Almost every year there has also been a change of one or two members of the committee. This year none of the members were changed, but there was an addition to the number of participants. In the past Africa and Madagascar has been included under Europe and Lebanon. This year Fr. Isangu Mwana Mfumu joined the committee to represent Africa and Madagascar.

In addition to the business meeting each year Fr. General has had an extended dinner with the ICJHE members. There are two such dinners, one for the English speakers on the ICJHE and one for the Spanish speakers.

The ICJHE membership as of this writing includes the following:

Thomas Roach: Society Secretary for Education

José Ramón Busto Saíz (President of Comillas-Madrid, Spain): Europe and Lebanon

Vincent Braganza (Secretary for Higher Education, South Asian
Assistancy): South Asian Assistancy

Paul Locatelli (President of Santa Clara University): North America

Luis Ugalde (Secretary for AUSJAL): South America

Isangu Mwana Mfumu (Higher Education Coordinator of JESAM, the Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar）：Africa and Madagascar

Daniel Ross (Secretary for Higher Education, East and Oceania
Assistancy): East Asia and Oceania

I have been on the committee for several years and this should be my last year now that the AJCU-EAO has been re-organized and we have a dedicated leadership with a staff that can better carry out the plans and activities of the association. This marks great progress. I expect there will be a new person appointed to the international committee. The appointment will be made by the Society’s secretary for education, Fr. Thomas Roach, in consultation with the president of the EAO, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas.

At this last meeting the secretary and other members of the ICJHE were very much interested in the AJCU-EAO meeting of the presidents and provincials that took place in the Philippines last May. I gave the committee a nine page report on these “conversations”. I also outlined the changes in the AJCU-EAO Constitutions and By-Laws.

Last year, responding to the request of the majority of the presidents/rectors of Jesuit higher education institutions around the world that a world wide meeting take place before the next General Congregation, considerable time was spent discussing and making tentative plans. As you will recall these plans turned out to be premature. There simply was not enough time to prepare for a meeting prior to the next General Congregation. At this last meeting plans were made to prepare for a meeting after the next congregation. Such a meeting will, of course, be subject to the approval and direction of the new General.