03Jun,2019
Sabauni rector at International conference in Hungary
Sabauni rector, prof. Vaja Vardidze participated in the international conference around the issue of sustainability , not only from a scientific approach, but also extending to a moral, social, legal and political dimension, based on the encyclical Laudato si' written by Pope Francis, published on 24 May 2015, that was hosted by Pazman Peter Catholic University (hungary).
The lectures were followed by round-table discussions, in accordance with the usual procedures of the conference of Catholic universities in Central and Eastern Europe, with a particular focus on educational and research cooperation in the areas of concern.
On the closing day of the conference the progress of sustainability, family science, interfaith dialogue and new technical and biomedical principles of medical results which are analyzed on the basis of the teaching of the Catholic Church.
Various institutions represented themselves at the scientific exchange, such as the Catholic University of Croatia, the Ukrainian Catholic University, the Catholic University in Ružomberok, the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, the Palacký University Olomouc, Graz University of Technology, the University of Notre Dame (Indiana), the John Templeton Foundation, and United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Central and Eastern Europe delegate.
The participants of the conference were welcomed by archbishop Michael A. Blume, current Apostolic Nuncio to Hungary; William C. Donahue, Director of UND Nanovic Institute and Prof. Szabolcs Szuromi, Rector of PPCU.
The welcome speeches were followed by speeches and lectures of Dr. Subhas K. Sikdar, former Associate Director for Science for the National Risk Management Research Laboratory of the U.S. ('Contradictions in the area of sustainability: what, why and how?'); Prof. Michael Narodoslawsky of Graz University of Technology about the technical, economic and political challenges of sustainability; Prof. Željko Tanjić, Rector of the Catholic University of Croatia on theological aspects of sustainability; Dr. Emőke Korzenszky ('Ethical Imperatives of Global Sustainability') and Prof. Heriberto Cabezas, member of PPCU's Laudato si' Institute and head of the Bioethics Center ('Water, food and energy').
The first conference of Catholic Universities was held in 2005 and has annual character and is organized by University of Notre Dame (UND, Indiana) and the Nanovic Institute (related to studying Eastern and Central Europe).
The next conference will be hosted by Sulkhan-Saba Orbeliani University in May of 2020.