For more than 450 years the Society of Jesus has embodied a global mission. From St. Francis Xavier through Pope Francis, Jesuits have traveled to the ends of the earth, seeking to spread the Gospel and advance intercultural and interreligious dialogue in the service of global humanity.
To celebrate the centennial of the Walsh School of Foreign Service (SFS), Georgetown University hosted a conference in Rome on the past and future of Jesuit global engagement. As the oldest Catholic and Jesuit university in the United States, located in Washington, D.C., and open to students of all nations, cultures, and religions, Georgetown has always had a strong international orientation. The establishment of SFS in 1919 as the first school of international studies in the country marked an historic milestone. Through the vision and leadership of its founder, Fr. Edmund J. Walsh, S.J. (1885-1956), SFS developed the global horizon of the Society of Jesus in a new direction—the training of new generations of leaders in government, business, and civil society to grapple with the world’s most pressing challenges.
Two panels and a keynote address celebrated the legacy of SFS and the critical importance of Jesuit efforts—past, present, and future—to build a more just and peaceful world.
This conference was made possible through the generosity of a dedicated group of Georgetown supporters led by Sarah von Thun-Hohenstein (FS’82) and Olga Maria Beeck (FS’81).
SCHEDULE
1:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. | Welcome and Introduction
Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J., Editor in Chief, La Civiltà Cattolica
Dr. John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University
1:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. | The Jesuit Ethos and SFS: Reflections on the Centennial
Fr. Matthew Carnes, S.J., Professor, Walsh School of Foreign Service
Shéhérazade Semsar-de Boisséson, CEO, Politico Europe
Fr. Thomas Smolich, S.J., International Director, Jesuit Refugee Service
Dr. Joel Hellman, Dean, Walsh School of Foreign Service (chair)
3:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. | Coffee Break
3:15 p.m. - 4:45 p.m. | Jesuit Universities and Education for Global Citizenship
Fr. Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator, S.J, President, Conference of Major Superiors of Africa and Madagascar
Amb. Melanne Verveer, Director, Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace, and Security
Fr. Daniel Villanueva, S.J., Assistant Director, Entreculturas - Fe y Alegria (Madrid)
Dr. Thomas Banchoff, Professor, SFS and Department of Government, and Vice President for Global Engagement, Georgetown University (chair)
4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. | Coffee Break
5:00 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. | Keynote: “The Jesuits, Globalization, and Our Historical Juncture”
Dr. José Casanova, Professor of Sociology and Theology, Georgetown University
Introduction by Dr. John DeGioia, President, Georgetown University
6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. | Reception
