Annual Conference of the Catholic Universities Partnership

Father Akaki Chelidze, the Rector of Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University took part in the annual conference of the Catholic Universities Partnership and delivered a presentation titled “Creation as a Testing Ground: Faith, Nation and the Care for Creation in Georgia.”

The two-day conference, themed “Protection of the Integrity of Creation,” was inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’, which focuses on environmental protection, social justice, climate change, and the protection and survival of the Earth. Accordingly, participants presented papers on these themes. They also discussed the work of Catholic universities in the areas of creation and environmental protection.

Participants also had the opportunity to tour the laboratories of the Faculty of Information Technology and Bionics at the host institution, Pázmány Péter Catholic University, where researchers presented the achievements of their laboratories, including a mobile application to assist visually impaired people and a device for people with limited mobility.

The 2026 conference was held on 19–20 October at Pázmány Péter Catholic University in Hungary. The Rector of SabaUni was accompanied by International Relations Manager Shorena Parunashvili.

The Catholic Universities Partnership (CUP) was founded in 2004 as an initiative supporting Catholic universities in post-Soviet and post-communist countries. One of its founders is Professor Jim McAdams of the University of Notre Dame, who actively participates in the Partnership’s annual conferences every year.