Our history

It was under the impetus of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (Milan, Italy) and the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (Nijmegen, Netherlands) that the first efforts were made in 1924 to bring Catholic universities together in a Federation. In 1925, at a meeting at the Institut Catholique de Paris, fourteen institutions were represented at a first General Assembly. In 1927, the first directory of Catholic universities was published. It was not until after the Second World War that the Fœderatio Universitatum Catholicarum really took off. Established by Decree of the Holy See in 1948, it was recognized by Pope Pius XII in 1949. The name International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC) was adopted in 1965. FIUC collaborates with the Secretariat of State, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, AVEPRO, and various dicasteries including the Dicastery for Integral Human Development.

Our mission

The Federation's role is to :

• promote collective reflection on their mission among Catholic higher education establishments;

• promote university cooperation in the field of research, as well as the promotion and dissemination of research results to decision-making communities;

• promote the exchange of experience and skills between Catholic higher education establishments;

• To represent Catholic universities in international organizations and associations and to collaborate with them in accordance with its institutional priorities;

• Contribute to the development of Catholic higher education and the affirmation of its specific identity.

• Foster ethical reflection on the mission of member universities, including issues of diversity, equality and the promotion of female leadership, in the context of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.

Actions

The Federation's actions fall into 4 main categories: