Pope Francis met with participants of the International Conference for Leaders of Catholic Universities, a forum organized by the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC), on 4th November 2019. The Pope stated that Catholic universities should “teach, conduct research and prepare new generations to become not only qualified professionals in various disciplines, but also proponents of the common good, creative and responsible leaders in social and civil life, equipped with a proper vision of the person and the world.” He called upon the FIUC “to take up the moral imperative of striving to achieve a more united international academic community,” adding that “the university system today faces new challenges arising from the development of the sciences, the evolution of new technologies and the needs of society, all of which invite academic institutions to provide appropriate and up-to-date responses.” FJCU President Vincent Chiang Han-sun was invited to speak at the forum, and gave a talk entitled “Medical Schools, Health Education, and Catholic Teaching: Opportunities, Problems, Best Practices”. He stated that “as the sole Catholic university across the straits, FJCU stands together with Pope Francis...(see more)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030. The 17 SDGs are integrated—that is, they recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability.