Berkley Center

In the fall 2024 semester, the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU) brought together over 700 students from 37 institutions across 20 countries. Since its pilot semester in spring 2023, the program has supported over 2,000 students from 59 institutions in 23 countries. In fall 2024, it welcomed new professors and their students from Chile, Portugal, Madagascar, Thailand, the Philippines, and more, increasing its numbers as well as its diversity in international perspectives.

Inspired by Superior General Rev. Arturo Sosa’s first address to the IAJU assembly in 2018, the project aims to support the call for “education for world citizenship.” The curriculum is guided by the Global Citizenship Course Module, which includes readings and recorded lectures about the following topics: “What is global citizenship,” “How does global citizenship matter today,” “Global citizenship and care for our common home,” and “Jesuit universities and global citizenship.” Professors from across the international Jesuit university network incorporated the curriculum into their respective course syllabi.

The IAJU Global Citizenship Curriculum Project is supported by the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University and led by Berkley Center Director Thomas Banchoff, Director of Student Programs Nick Scrimenti, and Program Associate Jane Fitzpatrick as part of the Culture of Encounter Project.

​Classrooms Around the World

Courses registered for the fall 2024 semester included Pope Francis and the Church of Tomorrow, taught by Michael Cannaris at Loyola University Chicago in Chicago, Illinois; Environment and Society, taught by Jorge Abraham del Valle Márquez at Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Occidente (ITESO) in Mexico; Introduction to Political Geography, taught by Ligia María Lee Guandique at Universidad Rafael Landívar in Guatemala; and many more.

Laura Muro of Saint Louis University - Madrid in Madrid, Spain, taught a course called Transitioning to a Sustainable World in fall 2024 that incorporated the Global Citizenship curriculum.

"Participating in the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project has been a transformative experience. My students and I have gained a deeper understanding of global issues and the importance of intercultural dialogue, which has enriched our teaching and learning experiences."

​Global Student Dialogues

Students taking these courses were additionally required to participate in the Global Student Dialogues, where students could meet virtually with their peers from around the world and exchange ideas about global citizenship. Conversations in these meetings were centered around two leading questions: How do you experience global issues in your local community? How can students at Jesuit universities work together to have a positive impact as global citizens?

“Through this global dialogue, I've learned that international collaboration is key to solving global problems. I've seen how people from different cultures and backgrounds can come together, share ideas, and find common solutions,” said Ankita Tudu, who studies geography at St. Xavier College, Maharo, Dumka in India. “I've also realized that even small conversations can make a big difference in promoting global understanding and cooperation. Overall, this dialogue has been an enriching experience.”

Sri Ram, who studies sociology at Loyola College, Chennai in India, shared that the experience has changed his understanding of global citizenship.

“The dialogue has significantly deepened my understanding of global citizenship and reshaped my perspective on international collaboration in several ways…I now view global citizenship as more than just a concept of shared responsibility. It is a dynamic commitment to understanding global issues, respecting cultural diversity, and taking active steps to address shared challenges.”

Participants in the Global Student Dialogues used the virtual platform as an opportunity to learn more about which global issues are most pressing for students in different countries, finding both similarities and diversity in their unique sets of experiences. Many conversations focused on climate change, gender and social inequalities, and immigration.

“It is part of our mission at Georgetown University to engage with the global community,” said Banchoff. “The Global Student Dialogues have fostered some of the most unique dialogue around important issues of today’s world.”

​Global Citizenship Fellows Program

The project continues in the spring 2025 semester through the Global Citizenship Fellows Program. A group of 12 students who participated in the Global Citizenship Curriculum Project during the fall 2024 semester has been carefully selected to continue convening through a series of virtual dialogues that will culminate in a trip to Bogotá, Colombia, for the 2025 IAJU International Assembly. Upon their return from Bogotá, the fellows will create bog posts and reflections about their experiences that will be published on the project website. This will be the third iteration of the fellows program; the first fellows cohort assembled in 2022 and traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, followed by the second cohort in 2024 traveling to Rome, Italy.

The Global Citizenship Curriculum Project is organized under the auspices of the IAJU Task Force on Global Citizenship and made possible by the generosity of the GHR Foundation.