Berkley Center

From June 30 to July 3, the Global Citizenship Fellows Program brought 10 students from across the world to Bogotá, Colombia, for the 2025 Assembly of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU). As the only group of student delegates formally participating in the assembly, the fellows represented a unique cross section of the global Jesuit university network. Their presence underscored a shared commitment to forming students as global citizens in a fractured world.

An initiative of the IAJU’s Task Force on Global Citizenship based at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, the Global Citizenship Fellows Program brings together cohorts of select students for online dialogue training, exchanges about the practice of global citizenship in their local communities, and international study tours. Previous groups travelled to Boston, Massachusetts, USA, in 2022 and Rome, Italy, in 2024.

Connecting Classroom Learning to Global Action

The 2024-2025 IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows cohort consisted of 11 students from 10 Jesuit universities in nine countries. The fellows were selected from more than 600 students who participated in the Fall 2024 Global Citizenship Curriculum Project, which featured a course module taught simultaneously by faculty at multiple IAJU institutions and online Global Student Dialogues linking students with their peers around the world. The curriculum project and the fellows program are led by Berkley Center Director Thomas Banchoff, Director of Student Programs Nick Scrimenti, and Program Associate Jane Fitzpatrick.

The fellowship frames dialogue as an essential practice for the formation of global citizens. Throughout the spring 2025 semester, fellows met monthly to build their capacities for dialogue through structured Zoom workshops. They practiced perspective-taking through a reflective, performance-based dialogue model, In Your Shoes™, developed by Georgetown’s Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics. They also explored strategies for navigating difficult conversations in polarized contexts through Resetting the Table methodology and related their experience engaging with global issues ranging from climate change to migration in local contexts. These sessions built upon classroom learning from the fall 2024 semester and laid the foundation for meaningful engagement at the IAJU Assembly in Bogotá. 

Arisa Yamada from Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, appreciated how the program encouraged her to combine reflection and action in addressing global challenges. 

“I think it was a great opportunity to look back on what I’ve experienced, and what I really think about global issues, and what I really want to do to contribute to solving these problems.”

Upon their arrival in Bogotá, three fellows had the opportunity to formally present their ideas and experiences from the program during a pre-conference session on “Democracy in Crisis.” Sonali Devi (Loyola College, Chennai), Phoebe De Leon (Ateneo de Manila University), and Alex Lopez (Universidad Rafael Landivar) engaged in a conversation moderated by Banchoff. The fellows highlighted the formative impact of the fellows program and their desire to further strengthen ties among students at Jesuit universities worldwide.

In addition to their featured panel, the fellows also showcased their work during a parallel session on global citizenship, where they explored challenges and future opportunities for the curriculum project and the fellows program in conversation with faculty and staff from Jesuit universities around the world.

“The fellows’ active participation throughout the week was inspirational for everyone around them, reminding us what our work as teachers and administrators is all about — the students we teach and the communities we create for them.”

One highlight of the week was a private meeting between the fellows and Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., superior general of the Society of Jesus. During his keynote address to the assembly, Fr. Sosa spoke powerfully about the role of Jesuit universities in shaping hopeful, engaged global citizens. “As participants in global networks,” he said, “our institutions are uniquely positioned to counter current trends…They can expand the sense of global citizenship among our faculty, staff, students, and alumni…and reinforce a culture of solidarity in our educational mission.”

Global Connections Forged Through Dialogue

In addition to their attendance and participation in the IAJU Assembly, the fellows also enjoyed cultural excursions, including tours of Bogotá and Monserrate. Following the conclusion of the study tour, the fellows will share written reflections on the program and their time in Bogotá through the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program website, and they will stay connected as an alumni network going forward. 

Georgetown University student Emma van den Dijssel (SFS’27) embraced the chance to connect with students from other Catholic and Jesuit institutions through the program and at the IAJU Assembly.

“I think that this fellowship is a really beautiful testament to what it means to be part of a Jesuit university network.”

The IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program will continue in spring 2026. Students who participate in the Global Citizenship course module in the fall 2025 semester are eligible to apply for the next iteration of the program. For more information, please visit the IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project and the IAJU Global Citizenship Fellows Program websites.