(ANS – Rome) – The city of Rome has become a centre of reflection, communion and renewal for Catholic education, as leaders from around the world have gathered for the World Education Jubilee. Members of the Salesian Institutions of Higher Education (IUS) are gathered at the Pontifical Salesian University (UPS) in Rome to participate in the International Conference entitled “Participatory Models in Salesian Higher Education: Synodal & Salesian Facilitation.”
The meeting began on Monday, October 27, with the opening Eucharist of the Jubilee of Education presided over by Pope Leo XIV in St Peter’s Basilica, during which the Pontiff said, “Those who study are elevated, they broaden their horizons and their perspectives, to recover a gaze that is not fixed only downwards, but is capable of looking upwards: towards God, towards others, towards the mystery of life’.” After Mass, the Salesian participants joined the Rector Major, Fr Fabio Attard, for a warm welcome dinner at Sacred Heart.
The opening session of the IUS Conference then took place the following morning, 28 October, in the Viganò Hall at the Pontifical Salesian University. The session included talks by Fr Fabio Attard and Fr Andrea Bozzolo, Rector Magnificus of the UPS. Together they explored the theme “Synodality, Salesian identity and facilitation” as key paths for renewing the mission of Salesian higher education today.
Their intervention underlined how the legacy of Salesian pedagogy, rooted in accompaniment, dialogue and participation, can be translated into contemporary modes of institutional leadership and educational practice. The Coordinator General of the IUS, Fr George Thadathil, then expressed appreciation and thanks on behalf of the Rectors of the Salesian Universities for setting the tone and character of the discussions that were to continue, and introduced the facilitation team.
Several topics would be covered over the next few days, accessible via the IUS network YouTube channel:
Day 2: Issues and opportunities for change in higher education – https://youtube.com/live/n6Elr93l9ng?feature=share
Day 3: Facing the challenges to dream like the dreamer https://youtube.com/live/u6ucw1_GS5Y?feature=share
As the IUS network moves forward, the spirit of Don Bosco continues to guide its mission, forming educators and institutions that accompany young people with faith, reason and loving kindness, preparing them to become agents of change in today’s world.