Staff from St Mary's University were well represented at the third biennial conference of the Consortium of Catholic Universities (CCU), held at the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in Germany from 29–31 July which had as its theme "Building Bridges: Global Responsibility for the Common Good."
The CCU is an international network committed to strengthening collaboration in research, teaching, and institutional engagement among Catholic universities worldwide.
This year's conference explored how Catholic universities can build cross-border partnerships that translate research, teaching, and outreach into tangible societal impact, with participants reflecting on shared responsibilities and initiatives that promote international cooperation, peace, sustainability, and human dignity. The programme was organised around three streams: 'Research for the Common Good', research that fosters peace, sustainability, human dignity, and global responsibility; 'Teaching & Formation', exploring innovative pedagogies and curricula that cultivate ethical leadership and intercultural understanding; and 'Partnership & Practice', looking at institutional collaborations and community-engaged initiatives with measurable social impact.
Associate Professor Maggie Doherty, the lead for St Mary's Centre for the Art of Living and Dying Well, presented findings from a Birmingham-based pilot study exploring how faith communities and healthcare institutions can work together to improve death literacy and end-of-life care for ethnically diverse communities.
Professor Karen Sanders, Head of the School of Business and Law, spoke on lessons from high-reliability organisations for ethical leadership and communication in turbulent times, while John Lydon, Professor of Catholic Education, looked at the role of service-learning in building a Catholic university community committed to service.
Revd Dr Ashley Beck, Associate Professor and Course Lead for the MA in Catholic Social Teaching, reflected on how the consortium can offer a shared vision for the Church amid recent global and ecclesial developments, including the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo XIV.
The conference was also attended by academics, practitioners and administrators from Notre Dame, USA, Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, Germany, the Ukrainian Catholic University, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.