Samuel Štefan Mahút is an assistant professor at the Catholic University in Ružomberok, Slovakia, which is a longstanding member of the Catholic Universities Partnership (CUP). At the age 28 he became the dean of the Faculty of Arts and Letters and probably the youngest dean in the history of Central Europe. As a young scholar, he attended the Catholic Universities Partnership conference in Zagreb, Croatia from May 9-11, 2024.
Having siblings is truly a gift. But not only the real (blood) ones, but also the—let's say—institutional ones. For our Catholic University in Ružomberok, such siblings certainly include Catholic universities, specifically those that are associated within the Catholic Universities Partnership (CUP) thanks to the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, part of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs.
In 2024, when the CUP celebrated 20 years since its formation, there was a good opportunity to acknowledge this fact in Zagreb (the seat of the Catholic University of Croatia) at the traditional CUP conference. As part of the program, I particularly looked forward to seeing how the contemporary witnesses of this 20-year history, especially Professor A. James McAdams, William M. Scholl Professor of International Affairs at the Unversity of Notre Dame, would reveal something of how he and Robert Nanovic, who with his wife Elizabeth serve as founding benefactors of the Nanovic Institute, helped Catholic universities in Central and Eastern Europe to know one other. These universities were actually “born” as daughters of the same mother, the Catholic Church with its rich intellectual heritage, but without CUP, I am afraid they may not have cultivated sibling relationships. For this reason, I offer many thanks to the founders of this partnership.
After all, their Catholic universities are “siblings” within the CUP, and it is very enriching to grow up with siblings.
The conference was not just about memories, though. Quite a lot of space was given to discussion panels on inspiring examples of crisis management, pastoral care, and opportunities for further cooperation. These discussions involved not only experienced academics but also young scholars (including myself) and even students. It was a stimulating time spent not only gaining new inspiration but also creating new contacts. The thriving Catholic University of Croatia, as well as the beautiful city of Zagreb, was a very well-chosen setting.
In my speech at the conference, I gave an example from Scouting. When two Scouts from different parts of the world meet, they shake left hands (a symbol of trust) and know they are friends. My hope (and it is gradually becoming a reality) is that when two students or faculty members from Catholic universities in Central and Eastern Europe meet, they will recognize each other as very close colleagues. After all, their Catholic universities are “siblings” within the CUP, and it is very enriching to grow up with siblings.
The 20th anniversary of the Catholic Universities Partnership is celebrated further in the Nanovic Institute's 2023-24 Year in Review, which includes a narrative history and more about the partnership and its 20-year history from 2004-2024 (and beyond).
This piece seeks to capture the historical formation of the group and lay a course for the future.
In addition to this special feature story, the Year in Review contains many other initiatives of the Nanovic Institute during the year, from student programs to faculty research to partnerships with the CUP, and more.