18 Nov 2025
The Kircher Network, the “Europe and Near East” branch of the IAJU (International Association of Jesuit Universities), is an ecosystem comprising 28 Jesuit higher education institutions across 16 countries, with more than 120,176 students.
Last October, the international relations leaders of the Kircher Network met at the Hochschule für Philosophie München, alongside the General Assembly of the presidents and deans of the member institutions and the jubilee of the Hochschule. Their stated objectives were to strengthen international cooperation and to launch new joint initiatives serving the identity and mission of Jesuit higher education for the next three years.
The group of international relations officers (credit: Kircher Network)
Sharing Best Practices and Translating the IAJU Strategic Plan into Action
This meeting enabled the international representatives present (IQS, ESADE, ICAI, Loyola Andalucia, Loyola Paris, Namur, Krakow, DEUSTO, Saint Joseph University, National College of Ireland, Lumen Vitae, Icam) to share best practices and explore new synergies in internationalization, the development of international partnerships, and scholarship management.
Members also worked on the operational implementation of the strategic orientations defined earlier in July, during the IAJU General Assembly in Bogotá.
“Our priority is to implement joint projects aligned with the strategic plan and with IAJU’s core concerns: student well-being, democracy and global citizenship, environmental justice, and AI and sustainability,” explains Nora Lemouzy-Bouamari, International Partnerships and Development Manager at Icam Toulouse and Icam’s representative within this Kircher Network group.
Icam’s Driving Role, Leading Two New Projects
Among the four programs currently being developed for the next two years — all of which will benefit from European funding — two are being led by Icam Toulouse:
– A Blended Intensive Program for students on the theme “Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability.” It will invite students to explore how artificial intelligence can contribute to sustainability goals (June 26 to July 3, 2026). This program is co-designed and co-taught by researchers from the partner institutions: Icam, Loyola Andalucia, Namur, and the National College of Ireland, and is intended to be transdisciplinary.
– A Staff Training Program on “Meaningful learning and intercultural teaching: communication across different languages,” focusing on intercultural communication and inclusive pedagogy (June 3–5, 2026). It is organized by Icam Toulouse and developed within the Meaningful Learning group of the Kircher Network, which has been created and led by Icam for the past three years.
“These two projects have generated genuine interest among our academic partners and among rectors. Icam has been recognized for its driving role within the Kircher Network and its dynamism within the IAJU,” adds Nora Lemouzy-Bouamari.
