Thomistic Studies Program to begin in March 2020

January 2020

During ICUSTA’s last biennial at the University St. Thomas Houston, it was announced that the first version of the online Thomistic Studies Program for professors and administrators of our network will be offered in Spanish by the Universidad FASTA (Argentina). At that same time the Assembly of Delegates approved the allocation of half scholarships financed by the STAIEP (St Thomas Aquinas International Exchange Program) fund. Furthermore, as was proposed, various prominent Thomists of ICUSTA will be incorporated into the program as invited professors. First of all, Dr. Eudaldo Forment, member of our Council of Honor, has already been incorporated.

Thus, the commencement of the Thomistic Studies University Diploma in March of 2020 has been confirmed. The registration is now open and will be available until the end of March. Nonetheless, early registration is recommended in order to fully benefit from all the resources provided by the distance learning Diploma. All information regarding the Diploma can be found on this web page.

This great opportunity for our members who have not had Thomist formation should be publicized and promoted, especially in ICUSTA’s Spanish speaking institutions. Those registered will be introduced in a systematic and certified way to the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas, patron and inspiration of our network.

This program is open to anyone interested, but a special discount is offered to ICUSTA. The total value of the diploma is $700 USD; however, the value per agreement for all the teaching staff, active and retired, spouses, parents and children, as well as students and graduates of whichever ICUSTA member institution (at the moment of registration), will be only $400 USD. Furthermore, it should be noted that applications for an additional half scholarship ($200 USD) from the STAIEP fund must be presented by the authorities of the corresponding ICUSTA institution to the Executive Committee by March 2, 2020 at the latest. Of course, the applicant’s institution itself could cover the difference in the program’s cost in order to further facilitate participation by its members.

There are two distinct ways of proceeding for those ICUSTA members who register for the Diploma: i) those who will be responsible for the total payment (i.e., with neither the STAIEP nor institutional scholarship), ii) and those whose payment will be defrayed by such scholarships. The former can directly register themselves on the web page given above, clicking the button “reserve your place” and afterwards “Otros Países” and lastly “ICUSTA y LAM.” The payment must be made through PayPal. Whereas those latter students whose payment will include a scholarship must begin their registration at this special webpage.

For any concern regarding the program or the procedure for inscription, please write to the Director of the School of Humanities at the Universidad FASTA, Prof. Matías Castro Videla: matiascastrovidela@ufasta.edu.ar

This valuable initiative has been made possible by the persevering collaboration of Fr. Dr. Alejandro Ramos, Vice Rector of Formation at the Universidad FASTA, as well as the generous contribution of all members of the Committee of Experts for developing the Thomistic Studies Program.

You can see here the presentation of the Thomistic Studies Program 2020.