SINDU at UNPAR, and concrete steps - The Vital role of educators in the multi-religious Parahyangan Catholic University

Abstract

SINDU is the chosen acronym for SPIRITUALITY AND BASIC VALUES (“NILAI DASAR” in Indonesian) AT UNPAR (the acronym of Parahyangan Catholic University). Spirituality implies the passion and religiosity of the two founding bishops of Bandung and Bogor, when they decided to establish the Parahyangan Catholic University in Bandung in year 1955, over half a century ago. The relevant basic values appropriate for this multi-religious catholic university are based on this same spirituality. After that half century, it was realized that we have to work hard to keep this spirituality alive and well. Concrete steps have been taken about this to let it grow and bear fruits. Two concrete steps will be described in this presentation, on keeping this spirituality alive at Unpar with “SIAP” (“Initiation and Adaptation”) for the ~2500 incoming students involving ~50 lecturers, and a personal step done more intensively during the past year at some lecture introductions. The aim is to share experiences in letting science and faith interact constructively in a christian university, and showing the important role the lecturer can take in this respect, even in a multi-religious environment.