Rev. Paul Kollman, CSC, Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame
Tom Landy, Director, Collegium, respondent
Many might be surprised to learn that only about 200 of the more than 1000 Catholic institutions of higher education in the world are in the US. This means that as Catholic colleges and universities seek to follow Catholic social teaching (CST) in their policies and practices, they do so not only addressing their particular circumstances but also as part of a global network.
There have been advances in thinking globally about Catholic higher education, yet challenges remain. On the one hand, the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU) exists as a significant forum for fostering productive collaboration. On the other hand, circumstances faced by diverse institutions vary so widely that shared wisdom can be hard to identify and circulate effectively. With particular attention to insights gained by the US Catholic experience of higher education, and with some awareness of Catholic universities elsewhere, this presentation will examine the opportunities and obstacles that appear when thinking about CST and Catholic higher education in this world-wide perspective.