The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice and Dublin City University (DCU) have signed an agreement to develop collaboration in research and public engagement, with a focus on social justice and marginalisation in north Dublin.
The agreement provides a framework for the two organisations to work together on theologically informed research, public lectures, teaching contributions and PhD scholarships for JCFJ staff and Jesuits. JCFJ research staff will hold academic affiliate status at DCU.
A Visiting Jesuit Fellowship at DCU is also a central commitment of the agreement. It will enable a Jesuit scholar to spend an academic semester at the University, with access to library and research facilities and opportunities to contribute to lectures, seminars and academic life. Accommodation will be provided by the Jesuit community on Gardiner Street Upper.
Speaking at the signing at Woodlock Hall Library, at DCU’s All Hallows Campus, Fr Niall Leahy SJ, Director of JCFJ, said: “We are a small organisation but collaboration is one of our core values. We have a track record of working well with academic institutions, civil society and church organisations. My hope is that this new institutional relationship with DCU will provide a stable platform for many joint projects in the future.”
“The effects of short-sighted housing policy, over-reliance on imprisonment, ecological degradation and economic inequality are evident in Dublin’s north-east inner city, where JCFJ is based. Christianity and Catholic Social Teaching have much to say about these issues, which is why theology informs our research and advocacy.
“We look forward to working with DCU academics who share our commitment to improving the lives of people and communities in north Dublin. I have no doubt that JCFJ and DCU researchers will find fruitful and transformative ways of working together.”
DCU’s Vice-President for Research, Prof. John Doyle, signed the agreement on behalf of the University. He highlighted how the agreement builds on an existing relationship:
“Following on from the agreement between DCU and the Jesuit community regarding DCU’s hosting of the Milltown Library collection, this MOU will allow us advance collaborative work, in teaching and research. It will support research and engagement around our shared commitment to addressing social justice issues in north Dublin, and it will extend the international scholarly use of the remarkable Milltown book collection.”
The Milltown Institute was a historic centre of Jesuit higher education and formation in Ireland. Following its closure, its significant philosophy and theology collection was transferred to Woodlock Hall Library at DCU’s All Hallows Campus, preserving a tangible link between the Irish Jesuits’ intellectual heritage and the University’s present-day mission.
