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Von Hügel Institute

for Critical Catholic Inquiry
 

The interdisciplinary, transnational, and multi-religious doctoral study course was founded in November 2021, currently touting twelve PhD students. Its academic core lies in an interdisciplinary, transnational, and multi-religious program of study — one that identifies truth as well as law as a condition for peace and conflict resolution in the Israeli-Palestinian relationship.

Prof. Dr Ralf Wüstenberg, Senior Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute for Critical Catholic Inquiry and Professor of Protestant Theology and Director of the Graduate School (pictured above, left), sees the funding as an important signal for the ethics of peace:

"[The impact will extend] beyond the Middle East conflict [as it] also affects European issues significantly. It is now certain that two further cohorts of doctoral students can be accepted in 2023 and in 2026, in addition to those currently enrolled. Besides Israelis, Palestinians and Germans, scholarships will also be offered to young doctoral students from other transition societies, such as South Africa, Ireland, Albania etc. Learning together, researching independently and mutually discovering conflict resolution strategies […] are the cornerstones of the program.”

Dr Zeina Barakat, Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute and Academic Coordinator of the Graduate School (pictured above, third from left), is very pleased by The Bundestag’s (German Federal Parliament) interest in the Graduate School. It’s personal:

"As a Palestinian born in Jerusalem, who has also been researching the ethics of peace for more than a decade, the objectives of the graduate school are also a matter of the heart.”

The course seeks to initiate the process of reconciliation. One of its central aims is to train competent “knowledge ambassadors” who, in their roles as mediators, will build a bridge between theoretical reflections on conflict resolution and real-world implementation. 

The school’s international connections to the Wasatia movement (“wasatia” is Arabic for “moderation, balance, and temperance”) in Jerusalem, inter-religious dialogue programs at the University of Cambridge, including the the Von Hügel Institute, coordinated study programs with several Israeli and Palestinian universities, as well as the Maecenata Foundation, a civil society institution in Berlin and Munich, ensure its social and political relevance.

The decision has been appraised as a sustainable contribution by Germany to aiding a resolution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. 

The official press release can be viewed here

 

 

A unique institute of advanced studies inspired by Catholic thought and culture, focussed on contemporary global realities, and dedicated to encounter, dialogue, and transformation