FUCE

FUCE Newsletter

Loïc Roche — 2026-05-04T09:17:06Z

📢 We are pleased to announce the launch of FUCE Newsletter n. 13 !

This new issue reflects the vibrant life of the Federation of European Catholic Universities, highlighting key initiatives, academic collaborations, and the shared commitment of our member institutions.

In this edition, you will find :
✨ Updates from across the FUCE network
🎓 Insights on higher education in a rapidly changing Europe
🤝 Ongoing and new collaborative projects among member universities

📩 We invite you to read, share, and engage with us !

“Inspiring Catholic Universities in Challenging Times”

Loïc Roche — 2026-04-17T13:10:45Z

The FUCE General Assembly 2026 will take place in Zagreb (Croatia), hosted by the Catholic University of Croatia, bringing together rectors and leaders of Catholic universities from across Europe.
Scheduled for 20–22 May 2026, the meeting will serve as a key moment for strategic reflection within the FUCE network.

Under the theme “Inspiring Catholic Universities in Challenging Times”, the Assembly will address the major transformations currently affecting higher education. Discussions will focus on how Catholic institutions can respond to evolving academic, societal, and geopolitical contexts while remaining faithful to their mission and identity.

The programme will include high-level keynote lectures, thematic panels, and exchanges of best practices among member institutions. Key topics are expected to include the sustainability of university models, demographic challenges, digital transformation, and the role of Catholic universities within European alliances and global academic networks.

Particular attention will be given to questions of identity, governance, and impact, as universities seek to strengthen their visibility and relevance in increasingly competitive environments. The Assembly will also provide a platform for dialogue on the contribution of Catholic higher education to the common good, social cohesion, and the promotion of human dignity.

The presence of leading figures from the academic and ecclesial world, including Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, will contribute to the intellectual and institutional depth of the discussions. Beyond the formal sessions, the event will foster networking and collaboration among participants.

Finally, the Assembly will take place in a symbolic context, as the Catholic University of Croatia celebrates its 20th anniversary, offering an opportunity to highlight its development and role within the European academic landscape.

FUCE Scholarship Mobility Programme

Loïc Roche — 2026-04-17T12:39:28Z

The aim of the scholarships is to support and promote academic mobility and international cooperation among students from member institutions of the European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE). Through this program, FUCE seeks to provide students with opportunities to undertake study or research periods at other FUCE member universities, thereby fostering academic exchange, intercultural dialogue, and collaboration within the network of Catholic higher education institutions.

The program is specifically addressed to students enrolled at FUCE member universities in Albania, Georgia, Lebanon, the Vatican (Pontifical Universities), the United Kingdom, and Ukraine, with the objective of strengthening institutional links and encouraging the sharing of knowledge, values, and academic experiences across different countries.

FUCE SUMMMER School 2026

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-25T12:09:46Z

From crisis to construction

The summer school of 2026 takes place (June 30 – July 4) in Lille, France.

A humanism tested and transformed
Creative efforts for peace

Peace is not merely the absence of war. As the Schuman Declaration reminded Europe, “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it.”

European humanism has always sought such creativity. From Medieval Just War Theory to Kant's Perpetual Peace, from post-war reconciliation to the European Union's founding vision, peace has been understood as a work of culture and conscience.

Moral architecture of peace
But the moral architecture of peace is again under strain. The war in Ukraine, the resurgence of nationalism, and the persistence of inequality have exposed Europe's vulnerability.

The “culture of peace” born after 1945 – rooted in human rights, cooperation, and shared prosperity – can no longer be taken for granted.

The task now is not only to defend that culture but to remake it, integrating new perspectives from history, faith, art, and civil society.

Dignity and dialogue
In Pacem in Terris (1963), Pope John XXIII wrote that true peace “is founded on truth, built up on justice, nurtured and animated by charity, and brought into effect under the auspices of freedom” (§167).

Yet this insight harmonizes with a broader interreligious vision. Many traditions align and inform the European humanist conviction that dignity and dialogue must prevail over domination. All converge in recognizing that peace is not a condition to be maintained, but an endeavour to be commonly pursued.

Structure of the week
The week follows five interlinked academic courses, each addressing a key dimension of European humanism's relationship with peace. Together they trace a journey from the roots of European consciousness to its civic expression in action.

The programme combines lectures, workshops, cultural visits, and simulation exercises, culminating in collaborative creative work and public reflection.

Course I – The Contribution of History to European Consciousness

The opening course establishes the historical foundations of Europe's legal, moral, and political identity.

It considers how memory of conflict has shaped the continent's understanding of itself, from the devastation of the world wars to the emergence of the post-war peace project.

The participants will explore the double legacy of European history : its capacity for both destruction and reconciliation. Special regard will be given to the Schuman Declaration which celebrates its 75th anniversary.

The day concludes with a city walk, situating these questions within the physical and memorial landscape of the host city.

Course II – Literature, the Arts, Translation and European Identity

Art and literature have long served as Europe's conscience, bearing witness to both suffering and renewal. This course examines how poetry, fiction, and the arts express the longing for peace and the pain of loss. Translation, both linguistic and cultural, becomes a metaphor for peace itself : the movement towards understanding the other.

The students will analyse how the arts cultivate empathy and how cultural memory can be reimagined as a resource for reconciliation rather than resentment. They will be asked to reflect and engage with their own narrative construction through creative writing on the theme of the week.

Course III – The European Enlightenment and the Islamic Heritage

This course explores the intellectual and interreligious roots of European thought. The Enlightenment's faith in reason, dialogue, and universal dignity emerged not in isolation but in conversation with Islamic philosophy and science.

By revisiting this shared heritage, participants will consider how intercultural exchange shaped the modern idea of peace.

The discussion will also address how contemporary Europe might recover this openness in dialogue with its Muslim citizens and neighbours, recognizing peace as both an internal and external relationship.

Course IV – European Social Humanism

This course examines the political and social expressions of peace within the European tradition. It traces how liberal and republican ideas — of individual freedom, civic virtue, and the common good—have shaped Europe's search for a just social order.

From post-war reconstruction to the development of the welfare state and the European Union, these traditions reveal peace as a political as well as a moral achievement.

Drawing also on Fratelli Tutti and contemporary debates on solidarity, the course asks how social humanism can be renewed amid current divisions.

The visit to Flanders Fields, Ypres, offers a moment of reflection on the cost of war and the vocation of peace in public life.

Course V – Civic Engagement in Action

The final course focuses on practice. Through workshops and simulation games, participants will apply the insights of the week to real-world contexts — local, European, and global. The emphasis is on agency : how students, as future leaders and citizens, can act as artisans of peace.

The Summer School concludes with the Performing Europe session, where participants present stories and collaborative projects that translate their learning into creative public expression.

They will also engage in an exercise to reflect upon the dynamics of political interaction at a European level.

Public lectures

The FUCE Summer School offers two open lectures to the wider audience (with possibility to attend online) :
• an opening lecture on Tuesday evening with an expert who will introduce the topic of this year's edition and
• the panel debate MyEurope on Wednesday evening, with some of the participants sharing their visions of and for Europe.

LIST OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-25T10:14:38Z

FUCE is a Feberation of 63 universities in 18 countries.

• Abat Oliba CEU
• Apor Vilmos Katolikus Főiskola
• Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià
• Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw
• Catholic Private University Linz
• Catholic University in Ružomberok
• Catholic University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine-Westphalia
• Catholic University of Croatia
• Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
• Facultés Loyola Paris
• HELMo – Haute École Libre Mosane (Gramme)
• Uniwersytet Ignatianum w Krakowie
• Institut Catholique de Paris
• Institut Catholique de Toulouse
• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
• KU Leuven – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA)
• Mary Immaculate College
• Notre Dame University–Louaize
• Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem
• Pontificia Università Antonianum
• Pontificia Università Gregoriana
• Pontificia Università Lateranense
• Pontificia Università Salesiana
• Pontificia Università San Tommaso d'Aquino (Angelicum)
• Pontificia Università Urbaniana
• Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawła II w Krakowie
• Pontificio Ateneo Regina Apostolorum
• Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
• Real Centro Universitario Escorial-María Cristina
• St Mary's University College Belfast
• St Mary's University, Twickenham
• St Patrick's College, Maynooth
• Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University
• Tilburg University
• Universiteti Katolik “Zoja e Këshillit të Mirë”
• Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM)
• Ukrainian Catholic University (Український католицький університет)
• Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera
• Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir
• Universidad de Deusto
• Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
• Universidad Loyola
• Universidad Pontificia Comillas
• Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
• Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso
• Universidad San Jorge
• Universidad CEU San Pablo
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
• Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen (UCSIA)
• Universitat Ramon Llull
• Université Antonine
• Université Catholique de Lille
• Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)
• Université Catholique de Lyon
• Université Catholique de l'Ouest
• Université de Namur
• Università Europea di Roma
• Université La Sagesse
• Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
• Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik
• Université Sainte-Famille

THE FUCE NETWORK

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-24T16:52:03Z

• Abat Oliba CEU
• Apor Vilmos Katolikus Főiskola
• Ateneu Universitari Sant Pacià
• Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw
• Catholic University in Ružomberok
• Catholic University of Croatia
• Katolicki Uniwersytet Lubelski Jana Pawła II
• Facultés Loyola Paris
• HELMo – Haute École Libre Mosane (Gramme)
• Uniwersytet Ignatianum w Krakowie
• Institut Catholique de Paris
• Institut Catholique de Toulouse
• Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
• KU Leuven – Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
• Libera Università Maria SS. Assunta (LUMSA)
• Mary Immaculate College
• Notre Dame University–Louaize
• Pázmány Péter Katolikus Egyetem
• Pontificia Università Antonianum
• Pontificia Università Gregoriana
• Pontificia Università Lateranense
• Pontificia Università Salesiana
• Pontificia Università San Tommaso d'Aquino (Angelicum)
• Pontificia Università Urbaniana
• Uniwersytet Papieski Jana Pawła II w Krakowie
• Pontificio Ateneo Regina Apostolorum
• Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
• Real Centro Universitario Escorial-María Cristina
• St Mary's University College Belfast
• St Mary's University, Twickenham
• St Patrick's College, Maynooth
• Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University
• Tilburg University
• Universiteti Katolik “Zoja e Këshillit të Mirë”
• Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM)
• Ukrainian Catholic University (Український католицький університет)
• Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera
• Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir
• Universidad de Deusto
• Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
• Universidad Loyola
• Universidad Pontificia Comillas
• Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca
• Universidad Eclesiástica San Dámaso
• Universidad San Jorge
• Universidad CEU San Pablo
• Universidade Católica Portuguesa
• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
• Universitair Centrum Sint-Ignatius Antwerpen (UCSIA)
• Universitat Ramon Llull
• Université Antonine
• Université Catholique de Lille
• Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain)
• Université Catholique de Lyon
• Université Catholique de l'Ouest
• Université de Namur
• Università Europea di Roma
• Université La Sagesse
• Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth
• Université Saint-Esprit de Kaslik
• Université Sainte-Famille

LIST OF THE MEMBERSHIP

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-24T16:49:45Z

ASSEMBLÉES GÉNÉRALES

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-24T16:43:10Z

• Eichstätt, 2004 : Eichstätt Declaration 2004
• Salamanca, 2005 : How to meet the challenge of competitiveness in the new European Higher Education Area ?
• Lille, 2006 : A Catholic university : Why ? How ? World socio-economic mutations Positionings and challenges which lie ahead of European Catholic Universities
• Namur, 2007 : What importance should we give to human sciences, Interdisciplinary issues and the ‘common sense' approach in our academic programs ?
• Rome (Pontificia Urbaniana), 2008 : The human environment in our universities : What kind of formative human relations we propose through teaching, research, governance and university life ?
• Lisbon, 2009 : The new behavior of our students : Questions and challenges which lie ahead of Catholic universities
• Lviv, 2010 : How do Catholic universities promote the humanization of society in their missions of teaching, research and service ?
• Lebanon (all universities), 2011 : Our Catholic universities : Welcoming place of dialogue for Islam
• Lublin, 2012 : Our Catholic universities and the Church
• Rome, LUMSA, 2013
• Lyon, 2014 : How does its treatment of the great ethical questions in both teaching and research show the specific nature of the catholic university ?
• Maynooth, 2015 : The Implications for Catholic Universities in Making Decisions concerning Ethical Matters in Society
• Salamanca, 2016 : Rebuilding our common home – the contribution of catholic universities to ecological justice
• Lisbon, 2017 : Social Responsability : a way to honor the third mission of catholic universities
• Lublin, 2018 : Catholic Education in Social Humanities
• Antwerp, 2019 : European Humanism in the Making
• Budapest, 2020 : “European and Lebanese Catholic Universities and the Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence” Further Information
• Barcelona, 2021 : Further Information
• Tirana, 2022 : EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITIES GENERAL ASSEMBLY
• Lille, 2023 : Further Information
• Seville, 2024 : impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on university education and the need to equip students for careers in an AI - fuce-newsletter-no9-spring-2024.pdf
• Leuven, 2025 : The Spiritual Dimensions of a Holistic Approach to Health : The Possible Input of Catholic Universities
• Zagreb, 2026 : Inspiring Catholic Universities in Challenging Times

🇱🇧 Solidarity with Catholic Universities in Lebanon

Loïc Roche — 2026-03-10T13:53:12Z

The European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE) has expressed its deep solidarity with its member universities in Lebanon amid the ongoing war affecting the country and the wider Middle East.

In a letter addressed to the Rectors of Lebanese universities, FUCE President Prof. Elena Beccalli reaffirmed the support of the entire FUCE community for students, faculty, staff, and their families facing this difficult situation. The message highlights the concern shared across the network and conveys sincere hopes for the safety of academic communities and a swift return to peace and stability.

Catholic universities are not only places of learning — they are also communities of solidarity, dialogue, and hope, especially in times of crisis.

🤝 FUCE stands with its Lebanese member institutions and their academic communities.

EUROPE PROJECT WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN HUMANISM...

Loïc Roche — 2026-01-13T09:20:07Z

EUROPE PROJECT

WHAT IS THE EUROPEAN HUMANISM IN THE MAKING SUMMER SCHOOL ?

2026 marks the seventh edition of the summer school of the European Federation of Catholic Universities.

Over a hundred fifty bachelor students from 35 member universities will then have participated in this international exchange, reflecting with their peers from Lebanon, the EU and wider Europe, on the cultural, religious and philosophical foundations of the European project as a basis to rethink its future.

The idea for this project was born from the concern that students' sense of belonging to Europe is more than diffuse. Euroscepticism and amnesia of the history of European integration and the values that forge European identity requires us to clarify what makes the specificity of the European spirit.

To re-boost Europhilia as an antidote against widespread Europhobia, Europeans have to reconsider anew those structural ingredients and conquests that have been the driving pillars of European life, one such pillar being humanism.

The core focus is on identifying the ‘roots and routes' of the European project and investigating how to valorize them in the contemporary globalized context. This involves a questioning of historical contexts, cultural canon, scientific approach, institution building and citizenship from a wider comparative and international perspective.

The programme consists of five courses structured in two parts.

PART I – Historical and Cultural Roots : Implications for Europe Today
I. Contribution of History to European Consciousness
II. Literature, the Arts, Translation and European Identity
III. European Enlightenment and the Islamic Heritage

PART II – Social and Political Construction : Implications for the Future of Europe
IV. European Social Humanism
V. Creative Leadership & Civic Engagement in Action

Each year a specific theme is put to the fore and presented in the public opening lecture (possibility to attend online) by an invited keynote speaker (info & registration here)

Information
– See video-presentation on course content here : FUCE Summer School - UCSIA

Information on the seventh edition is to be found here : FUCE Summer School 2026

Organisation

Hosting universities :

• LUMSA (Libera Università degli Studi Maria Ss. Assunta di Roma)for the editions of 2019, 2021 (online), 2022 and 2023
• Université Catholique de Lille (Law Faculty) for the editions of 2024, '25 and ‘26

Program coordination : UCSIA (University Centre Saint-Ignatius Antwerp)

Core teaching team :
• Sarah Durelle-Marc from the Law Faculty of the Université Catholique de Lille (course I) ;
• Peter Hanenberg from the Research Center for Communication and Culture at the School of Human Sciences of the Catholic University of Portugal in Lisbon (course II),
• Ali Mostfa from the Center for the Study of Cultures and Religions of the Catholic University of Lyon (course III) ;
• Michael Shortall of the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical University St Patricks College Maynooth in Ireland (course IV) ;
• Fernando Ariza of the Faculty of Humanities of the University CEU San Pablo in Madrid (course V)