Upon the initiative of the Ateneo de Manila Institute for the Science and Art of Learning and Teaching (Ateneo SALT Institute), 19 educators gathered at the Sanata Dharma University in Jogyakarta, Indonesia, from October 30 to 31, 2017, to discuss forming a consortium of Jesuit schools and faculties of education in Asia Pacific.
A total of ten Jesuit institutions engaged in the field of education and teacher education were represented: Aside from Ateneo de Manila and the host, Sanata Dharma University (Jogyakarta, Indonesia), also represented were Sophia University (Tokyo, Japan), Instituto de Britto (Kasait, East Timor), St Aloysius Gonzaga English Institute ( Taunggyi., Myanmar), Xavier Learning Community (Chiang Rai, Thailand), Ateneo de Davao University (Philippines), Ateneo de Naga University (Philippines), Ateneo de Zamboanga University (Philippines), and Xavier University (Philippines).
Two more are expected to join the consortium: The Teacher Resource Center of Xavier Jesuit School in Sisophon, Cambodia, and a new teacher training institute being set up by Canisius Foundation in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Dr. Eka Priyatma, President of AJCU Asia Pacific and concurrently Sanata Dharma University President, hosted the meeting and welcomed the participants, noting that not only was it a historic first, but also a timely response to GC 36’s call for stronger networking and collaboration among Jesuit institutions.
The participants were given a chance to learn about the institutions and their diverse contexts. Discussing the challenges of 21st-century education, they also discussed their common concerns and challenges. Most importantly, they were able to identify different possibilities of synergy and collaboration in light of their needs.
The meeting ended on a high note, with everyone reaching consensus not only in the idea of forming a consortium, but also in identifying feasible but high-impact priority projects. We can look forward to an international education conference as well as a teacher exchange program soon!
The group eventually agreed to name their newly formed network of Jesuit schools/faculties of education as the Asia Pacific Interactive (or API) Jesuit Education Consortium. Serendipitously, “api” in Bahasa means “flame”–a most appropriate metaphor for this new group.