CIREAD - International Center for Research and Decision Support

On behalf of CIREAD-IFCU, I was delighted to take part in the VI Uniservitate Global Symposium held at the Catholic University of Eichstätt–Ingolstadt (Germany) on 6-7 November 2025. This year’s symposium brought together universities’ authorities, educators, researchers and students from across the globe to reflect on the theme “Service-Learning in a Fragile World: Universities Nourishing Peace and Hope”. The sessions were…
Read more

On 26th September 2025, the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) Secretary General, Prof. François Mabille, and Dr. Montserrat Alom, Director of the Federation’s International Center for Research and Decision Support, had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Josep Antoni Rom Rodríguez, Rector of Universitat Ramon Llull (URL), Barcelona, and holding a strategic working session with Dr. Carlo Maria Gallucci Calabrese, Vice-Rector for International Relations and…
Read more

The European Universities Initiative (EUI), launched by the European Commission in 2019, aims to foster unprecedented levels of cooperation among higher education institutions across Europe. By creating transnational alliances, the initiative – currently counting 65 alliances with more than 570 higher education institutions – seeks to enhance the quality, inclusiveness and competitiveness of European higher…
Read more

CIRAD is pleased to share the “Africa Charter on Transformative Research Collaborations“, a landmark initiative launched in July 2023 in Namibia. Developed by major African higher education and scientific organizations, the Charter promotes equitable and sustainable research partnerships by addressing long-standing power imbalances. Its ten guiding principles emphasize mutual benefit, African intellectual traditions, and shared governance,…
Read more

From September 2-5, 2024, the NHNAI International Conference entitled “Human freedom at the test of AI and neurosciences” took place at LUMSA University in Rome, Italy, bringing together over 60 researchers from diverse disciplines. The event, part of the New Humanism at the Time of Neurosciences and Artificial Intelligence (NHNAI) project, focused on the profound impact of AI and neuroscience on human…
Read more

We are pleased to share with you the NHNAI project Press KIT, which marks the completion of this flagship international action-research project on today’s major ethical issues associated with AI and the neurosciences.   The Press KIT features the project’s objectives and approach, its evolution over the last three years, its activities and the results…
Read more

Cardinal Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, addressed to the authorities that attended the Rectors’ meeting held within the framework of the Uniservitate V Global Symposium on November 8, 2024, at the Vatican. The Uniservitate coordinating team is proud to announce that the address has been finally made public in…
Read more

COCTI (the Conference of Catholic Theological Institutions), which is the IFCU International research group bringing together theologians around the world, pursues its commitment to fostering theological research and collaboration within the Catholic academic community. In alignment with its mission to respond to contemporary theological challenges, COCTI is pleased to announce the initiation of a new…
Read more

We are pleased to inform you that the Call for Papers for issue n° 15 of the Journal Educatio, entitled “Talking about God at School? Primary, Secondary and Higher Education“, has been extended.   CIRAD-IFCU, who has recently started a collaboration with Educatio, the scientific journal on Christian education, reminds that the same is open…
Read more

CIRAD is pleased to share a new brief note on the Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education, which established the basic principles of inclusion at school and the main policy changes needed to ensure access and accompaniment of all children, in particular those having special educational needs. This note reminds us…
Read more

We are pleased to share with you the latest news regarding the Conference of Catholic Theological Institutions, named COCTI, an International Research Group in Theology that was founded in 1970 within the framework of our Federation. It is important to note that, as part of a worldwide network of Catholic higher education institutions, COCTI members…
Read more

Within the framework of the recent collaboration between CIRAD and the Journal Educatio, the scientific journal on Christian education, we are glad to announce the call for papers for issue n° 15 entitled “Talking about God at School? Primary, Secondary and Higher Education“. Deadline for submission of publication proposals: 30th August 2024. As a reminder,…
Read more

CIRAD-IFCU had the pleasure to participate in the INQAAHE Forum held at University Politehnica of Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania, on 10-12 June 2024 entitled “Transforming Society: Social Responsibility through Quality Assurance of Tertiary Education”. The Forum, which was hosted by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ARACIS), is the annual meeting point for…
Read more

We are pleased to announce that the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) collaborates with the Summer School (7th-13th July 2024) of the Global Leadership Programme (GPL) led by the Escuela de Gobierno y Liderazgo Isabel la Católica of Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV), Madrid, Spain, in partnership with the Academia Internacional de Líderes Católicos,…
Read more

CIRAD is glad to share with you a new note on the current and future challenges and opportunities that have been identified by and for Spanish Catholic universities. Finding out about the debate carried out these past months and the issues identified may be a source of inspiration for universities located in other countries or…
Read more

On 4-6 April 2024 John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Lublin, Poland, hosted the 32nd International Conference of ACISE (the IFCU International Research Group – IRG – on Educational sciences) on the topic of “Inspiring Trust“.  The programme of the Conference included a variety of perspectives that linked the notion of trust to pedagogy and, more generally,…
Read more

On April 8, 2024, a delegation from the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) composed of Prof. François Mabille, Secretary General and Dr. Montserrat Alom, CIRAD Director, visited the Pontifical University of John Paul II in Cracow, Poland. The delegation had the opportunity to meet Rector Msgr. Prof. Robert Tyrala, Phd Habilitatus. Msgr. Prof. Tyrala…
Read more

On April 2, 2024, a delegation from the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) composed of Prof. François Mabille, Secretary General and Dr. Montserrat Alom, CIRAD Director, visited Pazmany Peter Catholic University (PPKE) in Budapest, Hungary. The delegation had the opportunity to meet Rector Rev. Mons. Dr. Géza Kuminetz, alongside Vice-Rector Rev. Dr. Krisztián Vincze…
Read more

COCTI, the IFCU International Research group in the field of theology, will organize its General Assembly entitled “Theology in exit” at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana, Rome, Italy, on 27-29 May 2024. The event, which will include official encounters with Vatican bodies and services, as well as an Audience with the Pope at St. Peter’s Square,…
Read more

Website of the Newman Evaluation on University social responsibility: www.rsu-fiuc.org

The 8th International Congress of the IFCU International Research Group (IRG) in Psychology entitled “Psychology and the Psychosocial : Understandings in Context” will take place on March 20-22, 2024, at the Universidad Católica Luis Amigó (FUNLAM), Medellín, Colombia. This meeting responds to the interest of socializing the investigative and psychosocial intervention processes that start from…
Read more

CIRAD is glad to share with you a new note on a current debate that keeps on affecting higher education and research. Indeed, it questions the role of our universities in building more human societies in the spirit of a horizontal dialogue with all the actors in the territories while providing a space to form…
Read more

The annual meeting of the Council for Scientific Research (CSR) took place at IFCU headquarters in Paris last week, 8th February 2024. As a reminder, the Council, which is chaired by Prof. Vercauteren (Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium) and hosted by CIRAD-IFCU, is made up of the presidents (sometimes delegates) from IFCU International research groups…
Read more

We are glad to announce that the 32nd International Conference of ACISE (the IFCU International Research Group – IRG – on Educational sciences) will be held on 4-6 April 2024 at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), Lublin, Poland, on the topic of “Inspiring Trust“.  The three-year research project on the educational and anthropological foundations of Educating in…
Read more

IFCU has recently launched a new collection of notes on hot topics that affect higher education and research. CIRAD is glad to contribute to this collection by sharing its own vision on trendy issues with members of the university community.   Our first note, which dealt with UNESCO’s Global Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications…
Read more

The second Newsletter of the NHNAI Project on “New Humanism at the Time of Neurosciences and Artificial Intelligence” coordinated by the Confluence: Sciences and Humanities Research Center of Lyon Catholic University (France), under the aegis of IFCU, has just been released. This Newsletter presents the problem-framing workshops carried out with the participation of internationally recognized…
Read more

Don’t miss the IV UNISERVITATE Global Symposium on the topic “Transformative Service-Learning: Cultivating Students Engagement, Community Partnership, and Spiritual Reflection for Social Change”, to be held on 8-9 November 2023 at De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines. The context of the Philippines entails an opportunity to highlight the multicultural nature of the symposium by strengthening…
Read more

  Last Thursday we had the honour to welcome Prof. Sean O’Connell from Nanzan University (Nagoya, Japan), who offered a lecture entitled “Making the most out of intercultural diversity in the workplace for research and Ph.D. training”. The talk is of great interest to anybody that deals with people from different cultural backgrounds in the…
Read more

“Making the most out of intercultural diversity in the workplace for research and Ph.D. training”Thursday, June 1st 10am Paris time, 5pm Nagoya time Prof. Sean O’CONNELLFull Professor, Faculty of Policy StudiesNanzan University, Japan As workplaces, including research institutions, around the world become increasingly diverse, the need for intercultural communication skills and cultural intelligence has heightened.…
Read more

We would like to sincerely thank Prof. Gregoria Arum Yudarwati from Universitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia, for addressing the potential of the appreciative inquiry method for research and engagement with communities. As a reminder, Prof. Yudarwati currently lectures at the Communications Department, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences of Atma Jaya Yogyakarta University. She has specialized in…
Read more

Website on USR: www.rsu-fiuc.org Contact e-mail: montserrat.alom@bureau.fiuc.org

  One of the International Research Groups of the Federation specialized in the educational sciences, ACISE has initiated a three-year Research project (2023-2026) on the topic “Educating in Trust, Educating for Trust“. The project is being implemented according to three phases: Within the framework of this project, the group organized a two-day Research Seminar at…
Read more

Updates on the International Conference “University as an epicentre for social responsibility: commitment to people and the planet” to be held on 19-21 June 2023 at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto First of all, the dates to submit abstracts have been extended. Here below you will find the updated calendar: Secondly, the host university offers some…
Read more

RESEARCH TALK “Appreciative Inquiry as a Research as well as an Engagement Method with Communities” Prof. Gregoria Arum Yudarwati, S.I.P., M.Mktg.Comm., Ph.DAssociate ProfessorCommunications DepartmentFaculty of Social and Political SciencesUniversitas Atma Jaya Yogyakarta, Indonesia April 11th, 20233.00 PM in Yogyakarta (Indonesia)10.00 AM in Paris (France) Prof. Yudarwati will present us the appreciative inquiry technique, which is part…
Read more

We would like to sincerely thank Prof. Rochelle Ge from Saint Joseph University in Macao, SAR, for sharing with us her knowledge on the Chinese model of Government-University-Industry collaborations (the so-called triple helix model). As a reminder, Prof. Ge is a sociologist currently working as the Dean of the School of Education at the University…
Read more

The Universidade Católica Portuguesa at Porto will host the International Conference “University as an epicentre for social responsibility: commitment to people and the planet” between 19 and 21 June 2023. This pioneering event aims to build an innovative and enthusiastic international scientific forum to promote knowledge and discussion among academic staff, teachers and students focused on…
Read more

A new call for papers for the journal EDUCA-International Catholic Journal of Education, number 9 (2023), is open on the theme “Educating Trust, Educating for Trust“. Contemporary societies experience a widespread crisis of trust. Political, economic, scientific, educational and religious institutions are increasingly affected by it. The protests against the vaccination for Covid-19, the abstention…
Read more

Short reflection on the DCS and the intuitions, challenges and opportunities of the synodal process Prof. Dr. Isabel Capeloa Gil President – International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU)              Catholic universities are at the forefront of the Church’s intervention in the world. Their (our) mission is to promote spiritual, intellectual and professional formation of…
Read more

Save the Date!  Understanding Chinese Model of Government-University-Industry Collaborations in Research and Education:The Case of Macau SAR Prof. Rochelle GeUniversity of Saint Joseph, Macau SAR China Wednesday March 1st, 20235.30 PM (Seoul – Tokyo) / 4:30 PM (Macau – Manila) /3.30 PM (Bangkok – Jakarta) / 9.30 AM (Paris) / 12.00 AM (Mumbai) Higher Education…
Read more

COMIUCAP, the scholarly group bringin together philosophers from IFCU universiites around the world, organized its First Online Conference entitled «Refacing Humanity After the Pandemic» on 7-10 December, 2021. The videos of the Presentations that took place during the event, are available by clicking directly on the name of each speaker: Europe|7th& 9th of Dec.|Org.: Prof.…
Read more

As part of its membership in the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) network, Seton Hall University will oversee an intercontinental working group focused on exploring how the Catholic Intellectual Tradition can be integrated into curriculum for all disciplines. Led by Director of Catholic Studies Ines Murzaku, Ph.D., the group will bring together scholars from…
Read more

Saint Paul Institute (SPI) in Cambodia organized a Webinar on 23-24 November 2021 on the topic of achieving social inclusion at the national level, which falls within the disabilities inclusion strand that CIRAD keeps on promoting and developing. More than 100 participants from higher education institutions, NGOs, the national Catholic community, local governmental agencies and…
Read more