Rome (Italy). On 22 September 2023, the 2nd online meeting of the ISS-FMA Education & Culture group took place. This is the academic network made up of researchers with the aim of developing research in the Institutions of Higher Studies of the FMA Institute (ISS-FMA), encouraging and articulating the network between Institutions in the education and culture area. There were 24 participants at the meeting, representing the 6 nodes of the ISS-FMA network.
The ISS-FMA Education & Culture group is an academic network made up of experts – FMA and lay researchers – who seek to fuel research, teaching, innovation, and social progress at the ISS-FMA, through collaboration focused on the area of education and culture of young people.
After the 1st meeting in June 2023, in this second meeting we sought to strengthen and stimulate the participation of the nodal points as a response to General Chapter XXIV and the Global Education Pact.
At a local level, the participants prepared themselves by organizing a meeting and activities in the nodes to learn about their academic reality as ISS-FMA, to get to know each other better, and to be able to carry out a more detailed investigation on some requests. How many ISS-FMA are present in the node? How many courses are offered in each of them? What research is being developed or has already been developed (if research is being carried out)? Who are the contact persons for research in the Institution and which person will be the contact person for this node? How does it intend to conduct research (only with the ISS of the node or in collaboration with other ISS-FMA of other nodes?) Which methodology is to be used?
The work kept in mind that the Salesian research proposal is conceived in the following thematic areas: humanization-human formation and integral development of the person; educational innovation and interculturality; human rights and democracy; environmental protection; socio-political education according to the Social Doctrine of the Church; ecumenical and religious dialogue; intercultural and communicative relations; knowledge of youth realities, in particular affectivity and sexuality, gender and identity, freedom and co-responsibility, media and digital technologies from the perspective of the Preventive System.
In this online meeting, the participants therefore presented what emerged in the various local ISS-FMA and the information collected. On the basis of the elements presented, we will proceed with the organization and development of research projects to be implemented, defining the groups and themes that will be explored in depth.
“Be a chorus! University, in fact, is the school of agreement and consonance between different voices and instruments. It is not the school of uniformity. No, it is the agreement and consonance between different voices and instruments”. (Pope Francis)
