Catholic universities discuss responsibility for the common good
The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt is hosting the Consortium of Catholic Universities conference this week. Over the course of three days, representatives from Catholic universities around the world will discuss how universities can contribute to peace, sustainability, human dignity, and the common good through research, teaching practice, and international cooperation.
About 40 researchers from Germany, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ukraine, Chile, and Taiwan are participating in the conference in Eichstätt. The third international conference of the Consortium of Catholic Universities (CCU) is titled “Building Bridges: Global Responsibility for the Common Good” and runs through Friday.
To kick off the conference, Benedikt Brisch of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) gave a presentation on how societies and international relations can deal with conflicts. Subsequent discussions will build on this, exploring how universities can assume responsibility across national borders and better align their work in research, teaching practice, and knowledge transfer with societal impact.
The conference program combines fundamental ethical questions with specific practical examples. Topics include the concept of the common good from various academic perspectives, contributions from palliative care research and medical ethics, new approaches to ethical education in teaching practice, issues of business ethics and responsible leadership, as well as legal and political challenges in crisis and conflict contexts. Other key focus areas include poverty, social participation, and democratic resilience; service-learning and the promotion of student research; as well as sustainable development at universities and international partnerships with societal impact.
The conference also features sessions designed to develop specific tangible opportunities for collaboration. In addition, there will be networking and exchange events, as well as program activities that introduce guests to the KU and the city of Eichstätt.
In addition to the KU, partner institutions represented at the conference include the University of Notre Dame in the U.S., St. Mary’s University in the United Kingdom, the Ukrainian Catholic University, the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, and Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan.
The “Consortium of Catholic Universities” is an international network of ten Catholic universities worldwide, founded in 2022. Its goal is to build an academic community that addresses pressing challenges facing the world and the Church and promotes the exchange of best practices in research, teaching practice, and university development. A central element is the conference that is held every two years, where representatives from the member universities share their experiences, research projects, and practical approaches. The KU is one of the ten founding members of the consortium.
![[Translate to English:] CCU Konferenz](/fileadmin/_processed_/4/8/csm_KU_CCU_Konferenz_2026_Christian_Klenk_9c29951d7f.webp)
