Some of the brightest and innovative leaders of Jesuit Catholic higher education from around the globe will be among more than 100 attendees at the first Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins (JC:HEM) international “think tank” March 5-8 at Regis University, designed to envision and chart the future of a program that for the past two years has been providing online education to refugees in Kenya, Malawi and Syria.
JC:HEM is an initiative of the Society of Jesus that brings Jesuit higher education to those at the margins of our society. JC:HEM works with the Jesuit Refugee Service that has enabled more than 250 refugees to study courses online and on-site in partnership with a global network of Jesuit universities. Those refugees can earn a diploma in liberal studies and pursue community service learning tracks for a certificate of completion that benefit daily life in the camps.
According to Steve Jacobs, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at Regis University and conference chair, the focus and desired outcome of the ‘think tank” is to expand the vision and outreach of JC:HEM to empower those at the very edges of our societies through access to Jesuit higher education so that together we may foster hope to create a more peaceful and humane world.
“The list of attendees reads like a who’s who of national and international Jesuits and Jesuit educators, all blessed with a passion for changing the world and making it a better place to live and thrive,” Jacobs said. “Their collective expertise will no doubt produce tangible plans and projects that will guide the future of JC:HEM and its mission of fostering collaborations across the global Jesuit network that will benefit those at the margins.”
Among the ”think tank” attendees are Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR regional representative for the U.S. and Caribbean; Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., president of Loyola University Chicago and secretary of Higher Education for the Jesuits; “Heroic Leadership” author and Jesuit Commons President Chris Lowney; Peter Balleis, S.J., international director of the Jesuit Refugee Service; author Paul Nakai who will facilitate the conference; Fr. Gregory Lucey, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Catholic Universities (AJCU); Fr. Charlie Currie, S.J., former AJCU president; and Mary McFarland, international director of JC:HEM and a Gonzaga University professor.
Some of the brightest and innovative leaders of Jesuit Catholic higher education from around the globe will be among more than 100 attendees at the first Jesuit Commons: Higher Education at the Margins (JC:HEM) international “think tank” March 5-8 at Regis University, designed to envision and chart the future of a program that for the past two years has been providing online education to refugees in Kenya, Malawi and Syria.
JC:HEM is an initiative of the Society of Jesus that brings Jesuit higher education to those at the margins of our society. JC:HEM works with the Jesuit Refugee Service that has enabled more than 250 refugees to study courses online and on-site in partnership with a global network of Jesuit universities. Those refugees can earn a diploma in liberal studies and pursue community service learning tracks for a certificate of completion that benefit daily life in the camps.
According to Steve Jacobs, assistant vice president for Academic Affairs at Regis University and conference chair, the focus and desired outcome of the ‘think tank” is to expand the vision and outreach of JC:HEM to empower those at the very edges of our societies through access to Jesuit higher education so that together we may foster hope to create a more peaceful and humane world.
“The list of attendees reads like a who’s who of national and international Jesuits and Jesuit educators, all blessed with a passion for changing the world and making it a better place to live and thrive,” Jacobs said. “Their collective expertise will no doubt produce tangible plans and projects that will guide the future of JC:HEM and its mission of fostering collaborations across the global Jesuit network that will benefit those at the margins.”
Among the ”think tank” attendees are Vincent Cochetel, UNHCR regional representative for the U.S. and Caribbean; Fr. Michael Garanzini, S.J., president of Loyola University Chicago and secretary of Higher Education for the Jesuits; “Heroic Leadership” author and Jesuit Commons President Chris Lowney; Peter Balleis, S.J., international director of the Jesuit Refugee Service; author Paul Nakai who will facilitate the conference; Fr. Gregory Lucey, S.J., president of the Association of Jesuit Catholic Universities (AJCU); Fr. Charlie Currie, S.J., former AJCU president; and Mary McFarland, international director of JC:HEM and a Gonzaga University professor.
The conference also features two special exhibits: nationally recognized photographer Fr. Don Doll, S.J.’s photographic exhibit of refugees; and David Yunger, CEO of GreenBridge Computing and consultant with Microsoft Partners in Learning, will display multi-point servers his company uses in emerging markets worldwide to enable digital access and education capacity in the developing world.
In addition to Regis University, other Jesuit Catholic Universities are involved with JC:HEM include Boston College, Canisius University, College of the Holy Cross, Creighton University, Fairfield University, Fordham University, Georgetown University, Gonzaga University, LeMoyne College, Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University New Orleans, Marquette University, Seattle University, St. Joseph’s University, St. Louis University, St. Peter’s College University of San Francisco, Wheeling Jesuit University and Xavier University.
Pingback: How Jesuit Refugee Service Jordan is Responding to Crisis in the Middle East |