Seton Hall University

International Federation of Catholic Universities

In 2021, Seton Hall University received the honor of being accepted into the prestigious International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), a world-renowned international organization of more than 200 Catholic universities worldwide.  

International Federation of Catholic UniversitiesCreated in 1924 and based in Paris, and marked both by its geographical extension and its cultural richness, the IFCU defends and promotes the mission and social responsibility of Catholic universities in a spirit of inter-university solidarity.
 
The vocation of the Federation is:

  • To promote, among Catholic institutions of higher education and research, a collective reflection on their mission
  • To promote university cooperation in the field of research and the valorization of research results among the various decision-makers
  • To facilitate the sharing of experience and expertise in the field of higher education 
  • To represent Catholic universities in international organizations and associations and, in accordance with its institutional priorities, to collaborate with them. These organizations include The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Council of Europe. The IFCU collaborates with the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, the Congregation for Catholic Education, Agency for the Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties (AVEPRO), and other Vatican dicasteries including the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
  • To contribute to the development of Catholic higher education and to the affirmation of its specific character

Membership in the IFCU opens the door to a wealth of new opportunities for Seton Hall, including:

  • Participation in important discussions about issues facing higher Catholic education globally 
  • International scientific collaboration 
  • Inter-university and multidisciplinary research
  • The potential to build international programs with IFCU partner universities
  • Global presence and networking
  • Participation in a number of international organizations including The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the Council of Europe

In his letter to Isabel Capeloa Gil, president of the IFCU, Seton Hall University president Joseph E. Nyre emphasized the significance of joining such a prestigious international institution: 
 
"It is important for Seton Hall University to be part of the International Federation of Catholic Universities and share the great wealth that comes from the encounter between so many universities, as Pope Francis said to the members of the IFCU in audience in the Vatican in 2017. The IFCU is called to take up the moral imperative of striving to achieve a more united international academic community, and Seton Hall University is up to the task to help answer that call."