Over three days, lecturers, researchers and other participants, such as the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences of Barcelona or the City Council of Manresa, shared their joint research related to this competitive project funded by the European Commission. The objective of the meeting was to explore synergies between different religions such as Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism, with two main focuses: interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and sustainability.
In order to delve into these issues, researchers from the universities of the International Islamic University Malaysia, KPH University College of Vienna, University of Augsburg, University College Bedër of Albania, and UIC Barcelona, participating as Spanish representative. "The aim is to create educational materials for teachers and work together for social change," explained Dr Joan Hernández, lecturer and researcher at UIC Barcelona.
UIC Barcelona was the second venue to host the university research group within the framework of the Erasmus+ KA220-HED Programme - “Cooperation Partnerships in higher education”, which was approved in 2023 and which lasts 36 months. Last June the first introductory meeting was held at the University of Augsburg. In addition to a tour of the facilities of the two campuses of the Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, visits to two representative spiritual spaces in Catalonia, the Sagrada Família and the Cave of Saint Ignatius in Manresa, were organised.
The participants represented up to 10 different denominations, and one of the pillars of the conference was the symbolism of water in the different religions. "Without water there is no life, and it is a fundamental element in sustainability," said Dr Joan Hernández. A conference manual has been prepared and made available to other universities.
This Erasmus project has aroused interest in other universities, and UIC Barcelona has led the creation of a “network of friends”, such as the Universidad de La Laguna (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), who wish to participate actively in the initiative.
Dr Hernández’s fields of research are artificial intelligence, intercultural dialogue, and sustainability. "Although they seem to look like three independent areas, they have shared areas of work," he says. "Holding research days like this, linking academia and civil society, is essential to meeting the future challenges of diverse societies," he adds.
With this kind of conference, UIC Barcelona demonstrates its ongoing commitment to sustainability and social responsibility, using research as a tool to raise awareness and promote concrete action.
