RECENT ICUSTA NOMINATIONS – New President, new Committees and Host for 2019 Meeting
ICUSTA has officers and Committees who are to be elected and serve for a two-year term. Also, every two years ICUSTA member institutions meet in a different country for strengthening personal and institutional links, reviewing aims and agreements, and sharing new initiatives. This place and these authorities have been recently appointed.
In the last Biennial Conference in Avila, on June 2017, it was decided that the host Institution for the 14th Meeting will be University of St. Thomas, Houston, USA. This had to be approved by their Board, and they did. Thus, our next International Conference will take place at UST Houston Campus on May 2019, and the 25th ICUSTA Anniversary’s celebrations will close in that very significant place for our history. In 1995 the second ICUSTA meeting –the first actual International Conference– was held at UST Houston. In addition, from 1999 to 2016 the Executive Director and the ICUSTA Office were housed at that institution.
This decision has also caused for the new Executive Committee to take up functions for the next two years. This is composed by: the Former President and Rector of UCAV, Dr. María del Rosario Sáez, the President of the institution that hosts the office of the Executive Director, UST Chile, Dr. Jaime Vatter, the President of UST Philippines, Fr. Herminio Dagohoy, the President of UST Mozambique, Fr. Joseph Wamala, and the President of the institution that will host the next Biennial Conference, and also our new ICUSTA President, Dr. Richard Ludwick.
According to our By-laws, the Steering Committee “is composed of one individual from each of the member institutions represented on the Executive Committee” and is intended to assist this one. Thus, the members of this new Steering Committee are Dr. Ravi Srinivas, Associated VP for Academic Affairs UST Houston, M.A. Eva Strasser, Project Manager International Relations Office UCAV, M.A. Roberto Lafontaine, International Projects Director UST Chile, Dr. Lilian Sison, Director of the Office of International Relations and Programs UST Philippines, and Dr. Hélio Guilliche, Head of the International Office and Cooperation UST Mozambique.
Lilian Sison has developed a brilliant career in the Pontifical University of Santo Tomas, as the head of the Graduate School and Academic Affairs. Her extended experience in higher education improvement and international relations will be a significant support for our worldwide network. When she was appointed her new position, she stated:
“I am pleased to learn about my designation as representative of UST Manila to the ICUSTA Steering Committee. ICUSTA is near my heart as I was there during its inception in the 90’s as representative of the President of UST, Manila Rev. Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. It is indeed a great feeling to touch base again with ICUSTA. I look forward to working with the team on the forthcoming 2019 Biennial Conference of ICUSTA”.
With the leadership of the new President and the new Committees, this will be a very successful biennium for ICUSTA until the 14th Conference, always “with passion for truth in the service of humanity”
New ICUSTA President, Dr. Richard Ludwick.