From August 25 to 28, 2024, The Beijing Center for Chinese Studies (TBC) hosted the AJCU-AP Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) Meeting 2024 in Beijing, China. This prestigious event brought together 30 participants representing 16 member institutions across 9 countries and regions, fostering an environment for collaboration and shared learning among Jesuit higher education leaders in the Asia Pacific region.
AJCU-AP CEOs Meeting Participants
The event kicked off with a welcome dinner on August 25, where Dr. Simon Koo, Executive Director of TBC, and Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ, President of Ateneo de Manila University and AJCU-AP, delivered opening remarks highlighting the meeting’s importance for fostering cooperative relationships among the institutions.
Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ, Ateneo de Manila University (Left)
Dr. Simon Koo, The Beijing Center
During the conference, Fr. Johnny C. Go, SJ of Ateneo de Manila University addressed the opportunities and challenges presented by AI tools in education. A panel on mental health allowed university representatives to exchange strategies for better supporting the mental wellness of students and faculty. Additionally, Fr. Yap introduced the IAJU Strategic Plan for 2024-2028, proposing a vision for a globally interconnected Jesuit community by 2028.
Fr. Johnny C. Go, Ateneo de Manila University
The meeting featured presentations on successful initiatives, including the Service Learning Program (SLP) titled “Democracy under Siege: An AJCU-AP Service Learning Program on Democratic Resilience,” by Ateneo de Davao University, and the 14th Global Leadership Program (GLP) themed “Youth Empowerment in Intercultural Society: Towards A Rooted Global Citizenship,” by Sanata Dharma University. Additionally, Sophia University showcased its Global Leadership Program for the Five Jesuit Universities in East Asia, aimed at enhancing leadership skills among students.
Fr. Albertus Bagus Laksana, SJ, Sanata Dharma University
Dr. Simon Koo, Executive Director of TBC, emphasized the importance of collaboration and extended an invitation for further partnerships with TBC. He highlighted TBC’s featured programs such as ChinaContact, Study Abroad, Research and Scholar Exchange, and the Kunming satellite center in Yunnan province. He also elaborated on the Retreat program, introduced at TBC three years ago to educate Chinese students about Jesuit pedagogy. This program uses secularized approaches derived from Ignatian Spirituality to deepen students’ understanding of themselves and their peers. Delivered in non-religious language, these spiritual practices have profoundly impacted university students and leaders from the Chinese mainland. To sustain this momentum, TBC proposed establishing an advisory committee and encouraged universities to incorporate this transformative program into their student activities.
Dr. Simon Koo, The Beijing Center
Further discussions covered updates on other initiatives such as the Ignatian Leadership in Higher Education Program, Magis Microcredentials, and Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), each highlighting AJCU-AP’s commitment to innovation in education. The meeting also spotlighted projects like Building Bridges Across Asia Pacific and addressed the Democracy and Human Rights Task Force, demonstrating the network’s dedication to promoting social justice and academic excellence.
Fr. Roberto C. Yap SJ, Ateneo de Manila University
The gathering concluded with Fr. Yap’s announcements regarding the next AJCU-AP CEOs Meeting at Elisabeth University of Music in Japan and the forthcoming IAJU Assembly in 2025 in Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia. Participants also enjoyed cultural excursions to significant sites like the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.
To view more photos from the meeting, please visit the photo album here.
The past few weekends have been some of the most exciting of the entire semester, full of trips to the zoo, mountain hikes, ancient parks, and more! Our first trip out of many was a visit to the Beijing Zoo. I had mentioned earlier in the semester that I wanted to see some pandas, since I was in China after all, and our TBC friend Andy made it happen.
Spending a whole semester in Beijing, I knew I had to make the trip down south and check out Shanghai, and the city certainly lived up to the expectations. Everyone describes Shanghai as this super futuristic metropolis, and after spending a weekend there I understand why it has this reputation.
The Beijing Center (TBC) is always pleased to welcome our friends from Escuela de Administración en Negocios para Graduados – Perú (School in Business Administration for Graduates – ESAN).
Athanasius Kircher was a renowned Jesuit scholar of the 17th century, he was called the “Renaissance man” and is often described as an enigmatic intellectual, due to his wide range of interests in subjects like linguistics, geology, music, etc. He is also credited as the founder of Egyptology, although later on, most of his translations needed to be corrected.