Initiatives

Under the leadership of Dr. DeGioia, the President’s Office is directly involved in a number of major University initiatives.  These center on our Catholic and Jesuit Identity, our Interreligious Dialogues, our Community Engagement and our Activation of Academic Excellence. 

Please learn more about some of our current and past initiatives by following the links below.

Catholic and Jesuit Identity

1517-2017: Lutherans and Catholics, Then and Now: On September 14-15, 2017, in commemoration of the 5ooth anniversary of the Wittenberg or Lutheran Reformation, Georgetown University hosted a conference on the momentous theological, historical, cultural, and global implications unfolding from the events surrounding the Reformation and in the five decades of dialogue since the Second Vatican Council.

Vatican II: The Unfinished Agenda: This conference will take place on November 12-13, 2015 at Georgetown University. 

Teilhard de Chardin: His Importance in the 21st Century: On April 9, 2015, in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of his death, Georgetown University hosted a symposium, “Teilhard de Chardin: His Importance in the 21st Century.”

Trent and its Impact: This conference on November 7th & 8th, 2013 will celebrate the 450th anniversary of the closing of the Council of Trent on December 4, 1563. The council was both an answer to the Reformation and an attempt to reform the church.

Msgr. Sequeri Lecture on “The Birthplace of Trust:” On April 23, 2013, Msgr. Pierangelo Sequeri addressed the Georgetown University community on the topic, “The Birthplace of Trust: A Theological Approach to the New Quest for Truth.” In this lecture, he attempts to develop a coherent theory of the affective structure of what he calls “believing consciousness,” thereby locating faith in the human experience of affectivity.

Vatican II After Fifty Years: Dialogue and Catholic Identity: This conference, which was held October 11-12, 2012,  at Georgetown University, examined the impact of Vatican II over the past five decades. 

Inculturation: Georgetown University joined Xavier House Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Hong Kong in sponsoring the Ricci Legacy Symposium in December, 2010, to explore the importance of inculturation in the mission of Christian evangelization and Ignatian Spirituality.

Faith and Culture Lecture Series:  Georgetown University hosts a lecture series that invites contemporary writers to reflect on their work in the context of the engagement of faith with culture.

Pacem in Terris:  Inspired by Pope John XXIII’s vision to begin an authentic dialogue in the quest for peace and human fulfillment, Georgetown initiated a series of presentations by distinguished scholars, religious leaders, and human rights activists from around the world tackling the topic of “peace on earth.”

Ignatian Spirituality:  Georgetown University has brought leading scholars together to share their perspectives on the renewal in the way the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola are practiced, culminating in the development of a video series, “The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola: Renewal & Dynamics.”

The Dynamics of the Spiritual Exercises: Fr. Howard Gray, S.J., delivered a series of ten lectures at Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. The lectures provide advanced reflection on the classic text of the Exercises for men and women who serve as guides for retreatants undertaking the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Georgetown University has made them available online through our web site, YouTube, and iTunesU.

Pedro Arrupe, S.J.: Georgetown University commemorated the 100th Anniversary of the birth of the Very Reverend Pedro Arrupe, S.J. through the commissioning of a documentary and a panel discussion.

Remembering the Life of Fr. Jean-Yves Calvez, S.J.:  Georgetown University honored the life of our dear friend, Fr. Jean-Yves Calvez, S.J., who served on our Board of Directors from 1997 to 2003 and supported our development as a major global university.

Interreligious Dialogues

President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge:  Georgetown University, with the support of the Office of the President, the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs, Campus Ministry, and the Center for Social Justice, participated in President Obama’s “Interfaith and Community Service Challenge.”  This initiative invited institutions of higher education throughout the country to deepen their commitment to interfaith understanding through community service projects.   

Building Bridges Seminar: For over ten years the Building Bridges Seminar has brought together a range of internationally recognized Christian and Muslim scholars for intensive study. Texts from the Christian and Islamic traditions are used as the basis for discussion in a program that includes public lectures and private sessions.

A Common Word Between Us and You:  “A Common Word Between Us and You” was launched in 2007 through an Open Letter signed by 138 leading Muslim scholars and intellectuals to the leaders of Christian churches around the world. It has become an initiative seeking greater understanding and peace through engagement and dialogue. Georgetown’s Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (ACMCU) is the official representative of A Common Word in North America. With the Office of the President, ACMCU hosts regular conferences as part of this initiative.

The Nostra Ætate Lecture Series: This lecture series builds on the Second Vatican Council’s document on interreligious dialogue, as well as on other similar initiatives like the Pacem in Terris lecture series.

Community Engagement

Working Group on Slavery, Memory & Reconciliation: President DeGioia has charged this working group with providing advice and recommendations on how best to acknowledge and recognize Georgetown’s historical relationship with the institution of slavery; examine and interpret the history of certain sites on our campus and convene events and opportunities for dialogue.

HeForShe Campaign: Georgetown University supports the HeForShe Campaign, the UN Women Solidarity Movement for Gender Equity. HeForShe was developed by UN Women to engage leaders as advocates and agents of change for the achievement of gender equity.

Esagramma – A Healing World of Music: Georgetown University hosted the Esagramma Symphony Orchestra of Milan, Italy, during its first visit to the United States. Esagramma is an internationally acclaimed inclusive symphonic orchestra composed of persons with and without disabilities, providing therapeutic music programs for children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Georgetown University Angel Book Drive:  Throughout the Winter season, members of the Georgetown community share the gift of reading with children in local tutoring and mentoring programs and in area schools through the Georgetown University Angel Book Drive, which collects and distributes 1,000 books every year.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration: Georgetown University’s annual “Let Freedom Ring” initiative honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through a series of academic, artistic, and extracurricular programs that examine Dr. King’s life and work and address the contemporary challenges our nation faces in order to fulfill his dream of justice and equality for all people.

Ward 7 Initiative: Georgetown University’s Ward 7 Initiative connected Georgetown University with the District of Columbia’s Ward 7 community in support of the students, families, and schools. The Initiative was responsible for coordinating the University’s longstanding commitment to service and outreach to the local community.

Cultural Engagement with China:  In the summer of 2011, the Georgetown University Men’s Basketball team traveled to China to participate in a range of athletic, educational and cultural events. This historic trip was the first since Coach Thompson, Jr. took the Hoyas abroad in the early 1990s.

Activation of Academic Excellence

The President’s Awards for Distinguished Scholar-Teachers: Each year, President DeGioia names outstanding full-time faculty to receive awards that recognize and celebrate the integration of exemplary research and excellence in teaching at our University. 

Engaged Ethics: Georgetown University possesses considerable strengths in practical or applied ethics across its three campuses.  This initiative seeks to create a more coordinated approach across the University, supporting collaborative efforts to solve complex problems.

Reflective Engagement in the Public Interest: Georgetown University cultivates public scholarship, or academic research that aims to contribute in some way to major public issues, by awarding significant grants to deserving scholars.

Global Initiatives:Through the guidance of the Office of the President, Georgetown has created a process for developing mission-driven initiatives that promote collaborative efforts — both within the university and with partners around the world.

Conflict Resolution: As a Catholic and Jesuit institution with a deep tradition of service and educating “women and men for others,”  Georgetown is committed to equipping students with the tools and resources necessary to better understand the nature of, and solutions to, many types and degrees of conflict.  Learn more about the initiative and the international conference, Conflict to Peace, here.

Connecting with the World Economic Forum: As a University community deeply committed to addressing issues and initiating dialogues with global impact, Georgetown actively engages the World Economic Forum.