Pontifical Urbaniana University

Presentation and History

The Pontifical Urbaniana University (the Urbaniana or PUU) is an academic institution which belongs to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Its origins date back to 1627 when Pope Urbaniana VIII established the Urbaniana College. In 1962, Pope John XXIII raised the Urbaniana University to the status of Pontifical University.

In 1926, the University left the historical palace on Piazza di Spagna and moved to the majestic building on the Janiculum Hill.

The University hosts four faculties: Philosophy, Theology, Canon Law; Missiology; and two Institutes: “Istituto Superiore di Catechesi e Spiritualità Missionaria” and “Istituto Superiore per lo studio della non-credenza, della religione e delle culture” (Institute for Higher Studies on Unbelief, religion and cultures - ISA); one Language Department and the Centre for Chinese Studies.

The Urbanianaiana has a special peculiarity for its being a missionary university with a universal vocation expressed by the many students and professors coming from a great number of countries and the numerous Affiliated/Associated institutes spread throughout the world. However, it also pays a special attention to the cultures of peoples and the great religions of the world with which the Catholic Church dialogues in order to fulfill her missionary task. The Pontifical Urbaniana University is also ordinary member of the FIUC (Fédération Internationale des Universités Catholique), and FUCE (Fédération des Universités Catholiques Européennes). Over the last few years, all the faculties of the PUU have been renewing their curricula in order to comply with the European regulations known as the Bologna process aimed at reforming universities.

The Pontifical Urbaniana University has joined the STOQ Project in 2008.
The first coordinator of STOQ Project at PUU, Prof. Zuccaro, who in November 2008 was appointed the Rector of the Pontifical Urbaniana University, gives great support to the idea of interdisciplinary research on relationship between natural sciences, theology and philosophy.

 

Courses within the project STOQ at the PUU

Academic Year 2009/2010 

­    Philosophy and science. The Galilei’s vision  (Prof.ssa Congiunti)

­    Anthropology of China (Prof. Dall'Orto)

­    Peace in the religions: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism - (Proff. Scognamiglio - B. Kanakapally)

­    The Company of Jesus and the spread of European sciences in China during the 1st modern era. (Prof.ssa Corsi)

­    From the Just War to the Theology of Peace (Prof.  L. Salutati)

­    Logic (Prof. Tuninetti)

Academic Year 2010/2011 

­    Philosophy of science (Prof.ssa Congiunti)

­    Philosophy of culture (Prof. Borghesi)

­    Christology and anthropology. Contemporary theological paths. (Prof. Ancona)

­    Anthropology of languages and theological methodology today  (Prof. A. Joos)

­    Philosophical anthropology (prof. Onah)

­    An introduction to theology (prof. J. Pirc)

Academic Year 2011/2012 

­    Theology of religions (Prof. C. Dotolo)

­    History and phenomenology of religions (Prof. B. Kanakapally)

­    An introduction to thereligious traditions of Latin America (Prof. L. Gallo)

­    Philosophy of religion (Prof. G. Onah)

­    Epistemological foundations of philosophy (Prof. Vendemiati)

­    Cultural anthropology (Prof. Pandolfi)

 

Reserch Projects

The program aims at opening up reflections and discussions on science within the different cultures and religions, with special focus on the European, Asian, African and Latin-American continents.

The study and research program will provide an insight on complex research and open a path for reflecting and analyzing the plurality and unity of science within the different cultures in relation to the various fields of knowledge.

The project is divided in three major research areas:

1)      The image of science in the different cultures, in cooperation with some PUU Affiliated Institutes.

2)      Neurosciences and moral conscience, in cooperation with the professors of Perugia University.

3)      Science and the search for beauty, in cooperation with the Urbaniana Academy of Arts.

Three seminars are held every year for each research area.

In addition, upon completion of the project “The image of science in the different cultures” a Workshop will be organized on the theme “The image of medicine and astronomy in the various cultures”, in cooperation with some PUU Affiliated Institutes.

The publication of a volume on the same theme is also under study.

 

Staff

Director: Prof. Benedict Kanakapally, Dean of Faculty of Missiology

Joint Director-Secretariat: Prof.ssa Lorella Congiunti

 

Scientific Committee:

- prof. Cataldo ZUCCARO, Rector of the Pontifical Urbaniana University

- prof. Alberto TREVISIOL, Faculty of Missiology

- prof. Alessandro DELL’ORTO, director of the Centre for Chinese Studies

- prof. Ardian NDRECA, director of the ISA, Institute for Higher Studies on Unbelief, religion and cultures (ISA)

- prof. Lorella CONGIUNTI, Faculty of Philosophy

- prof. Carlo CIROTTO, University of Perugia

- prof. Marco BUSSAGLI, Academy of Fine Arts

- prof. Giuseppe IULIANO, Director of Affiliated Institutes to the  PUU