In response to the powerful address delivered by Fr. Arturo Sosa, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, titled “The Jesuit University: Witness to Hope, Creative and Dialogical Presence,” the opening plenary of the 2025 International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) Assembly gathered institutional leaders to reflect and discern concrete paths forward. Held at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, the session centered on how Jesuit higher education can respond to today’s complex social, political, and spiritual challenges with renewed commitment, collaboration, and creativity.

Fr. Luis Fernando Múnera, S.J., Rector of Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, and Fr. Joseph Christie, S.J., Secretary for Higher Education of the Society of Jesus, opened the Assembly with two key objectives: to develop actionable plans for institutional transformation and to adopt a new five-year strategic plan.

Moderated by Fr. Christie, the panel featured Dr. Tania Tetlow (Fordham University, USA), Fr. Philip Geister, S.J. (Newman Institute, Sweden), Fr. Roberto Yap, S.J. (Ateneo de Manila University, Philippines), and Fr. Luis Fernando Múnera, S.J. Each speaker brought a regional perspective to the global call for hope, dialogue, and transformation.

Dr. Tetlow emphasized the rising challenges facing U.S. universities, where teaching foundational Catholic social thought is under increasing threat. Amid political backlash, she called for forgiveness, critical thinking, and the centrality of dialogue: “Universities teach the most powerful antidotes to the rising powers of darkness.” She underlined the need to form students in hope and courage, focusing on building a "beloved community" in defiance of polarization and fear.

Fr. Geister drew attention to the dangers of divisive uses of identity in Europe. Inspired by Fr. General’s call, he urged institutions to reclaim identity as rooted in Christ’s mission of reconciliation, and to live out virtues such as solidarity, unity, and dialogue. Hope, he argued, must not be naïve, but deeply gospel-based—a driving force for transforming the world.

Fr. Yap addressed the upheaval facing higher education globally, from technological disruption to skepticism about the value of degrees. He advocated for a reimagined educational model that nurtures multiple intelligences, ethical reasoning, and holistic formation. Jesuit universities, he affirmed, must meet this moment with innovation and integrity, becoming “bridges” for intercultural dialogue and agents of civic renewal.

Fr. Múnera highlighted the need for depth and discernment in a digital age marked by disinformation and democratic erosion. He underscored Jesuit universities' vocation to be spaces of deep intellectual and human formation, open to innovation and grounded in a culture of encounter and ecological conversion.

Additional reflections by Assembly members from Kenya, India, Japan, and France further emphasized the global resonance of Fr. General’s call. Themes of vulnerability and reconciliation, spiritual identity, environmental sustainability, and interdisciplinary learning emerged as essential to the work ahead.

As the Assembly continues, the message is clear: Jesuit higher education must courageously sow seeds of hope, strengthen its apostolic solidarity, and renew its commitment to forming persons for others—intellectually capable, spiritually grounded, and ready to transform a troubled world.