St Mary’s Lecturer Delivers Keynote Address at Tanzanian University

Dr John Lydon, Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, Theology and Leadership at St Mary’s University, Twickenham was recently invited to deliver a keynote address as part of Culture Week at Jordan University College in Morogoto, Tanzania. Jordan University College’s Deputy Principal Fr (Dr) Josephat Muhoza, invited Dr Lydon, who is also Director of St Mary’s Catholic Certificate in Religious Studies programme, to deliver the lecture for Culture Week, which the theme was ‘Faith and Reason in the African Context’. Culture Week was attended by more than 500 students and lecturers from universities across Africa, and was opened with a keynote lecture 'Reason and Faith in the Postmodern World' by Fr (Prof) Jaroslaw Merecki from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. This was followed with a series of papers presented by academics from across Africa and the USA, culminating in the final keynote talk from Dr Lydon entitled 'Faith and Culture in the Catholic Education Tradition'. It focused on the complimentary of faith and reason, and the challenge of global marketization to a holistic perspective, which is canonised in the Catholic education tradition, which was well received by students and staff. Students then presented papers on themes relating to African culture, enlivening what was described by Dr Bernard Witek, Principal of the University College, as “an enriching experience for all, both academically and culturally.” Jordan University College has more than 3,000 undergraduate students studying courses in education, sociology, philosophy and theology and is run by the Society of the Divine Saviour (Salvatorians). Two Salvatorian priests, who have recently completed St Mary’s MA in Catholic School Leadership, are now engaged in PhD programmes with the University, and it is hoped that the relationship between the two institutions will continue to grow with a particular focus on the expansion of Jordan University College.