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ACU announces new collaboration with Australian Province of the Society of Jesus

The Australian Province of the Society of Jesus (APSJ), and ACU are pleased to announce a new agreement for the delivery of ACU accredited courses by the Jesuit College of Spirituality (JCS).

This collaboration, which will start on 1 January 2021, opens new opportunities for JCS and ACU students both domestically and internationally.

As a young, innovative and internationally recognised Catholic university, ACU will provide JCS with enhanced capacity across the full spectrum of educational offers, an opportunity to engage with a culture of research excellence, internationally acclaimed faculty and, a diverse, multi-campus student body.

Through its membership of the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), JCS will connect ACU with the global network of Jesuit universities including institutions such Fordham, Georgetown, and Marquette. JCS also brings to ACU its distinctive expertise in the areas of spirituality and spiritual formation which are based on the Society of Jesus’ 500 years of educational and formation experience, founded in the life and teaching of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

ACU Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Greg Craven AO GCSG said, “This collaboration signals a timely and significant development within the Catholic higher education landscape in Australia. With a shared commitment to an education informed by the pursuit of knowledge, the dignity of the human person, and the common good, the collaboration between our two institutions illustrates how it is mission which underpins and animates strategy. In equal measure, it shows how this mission, defined by service, is one best pursued and achieved through partnership.”

The Provincial of the Australian Jesuits, Rev Dr Brian F McCoy SJ said, “This exciting new relationship with ACU is a strategic decision discerned, upon reflection on the valuable work undertaken by JCS in the past and the needs of the future, in light of the Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus worldwide and Priorities of the Australian Province as set out in its Apostolic Plan, both announced in 2019.

“The move provides greater opportunity for Ignatian Spirituality outreach, engagement with youth and accompaniment of the marginalised and brings benefits to students of both institutions. We look forward to our partnership in mission with ACU” Fr McCoy said.

JCS’s commitment to providing “education and research in Ignatian spirituality and empowering leadership” provides dedicated, personally tailored formation and ministry training pathways that are grounded in the principle of academic excellence.

The stated commitment of ACU to meaningful education, rewarding research, and life-changing community engagement initiatives informed by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, aligns with JCS’s mission and vision of providing education and research in Ignatian spirituality, as well as empowering leadership.

This new mission-driven relationship brings to both institutions expanded levels of student support, access to domestic and international libraries and world-wide student and academic networks.