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Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People People on the MoveN° 103 (Suppl.), April 2007
THE SITUATION OFFOREIGN STUDENTS IN THE WORLD(an overview, the result of an inquiry)
Rev. Can. Charles DE HEMPTINNE
synthesis of the following questionnaire responses
Father Chris McCoy ma confié confidentiellement un rapport réalisé dernièrement en Angleterre sur la pastorale en milieu estudiantin. Le titre en est : « Dancing on the Edge ». (Isa: secis/synthesisquest)
« Le premier Congrès mondial de la pastorale auprès des étudiants étrangers, constitue une nouvelle preuve de lattention de lEglise aux étudiants étrangers. Il apparaît en effet nécessaire de passer des interventions durgence dispersées[2], à la formulation dun plan dassistance sociale et pastorale capable de répondre à leurs besoins et leurs attentes. Une caractéristique de ce projet est quil comporte lengagement à accueillir. La communauté ecclésiale veut, dans un souci de disponibilité et damitié, aller à la rencontre des étudiants de nimporte quelle origine, en prenant sincèrement à cur leur réussite humaine et professionnelle. En même temps, elle veut assumer la responsabilité spécifique quelle a envers les étudiants chrétiens, en qui elle voit autant de frères que la Communauté dorigine lui confie. Les jeunes immigrés, qui se reconnaissent partie de lEglise, doivent avoir un accès effectif à ses initiatives et à ses services. Lenjeu de ce processus daccueil et daide aux étudiants étrangers est de grande importance. Il en va non seulement de leur maturité humaine et professionnelle, mais aussi de la crédibilité des Eglises plus anciennes aux yeux des jeunes Eglises des Pays en voie de développement. Les étudiants des pays en voie de développement, qui se sont perfectionnés à létranger, peuvent offrir, grâce à leur préparation professionnelle, limpulsion nécessaire pour sortir leur pays du sous-développement. Investir dans leur formation est, par conséquent, une des formes de coopération à privilégier. Il est important que les étudiants eux-mêmes soient conscients des responsabilités quils ont envers leur patrie. Une des clés de son développement est entre leurs mains : quils ne se soustraitent pas à telles responsabilités[3] ! Quils ne privent pas leur patrie des compétences quils ont acquises en tant que médecins, ingénieurs, agronomes, experts dans lun ou lautre champ de la vie en société. En tant que Chrétiens, ceux-ci ne peuvent pas ne pas sentir lengagement à faire un choix évangélique pour le service des pauvres, devenant ainsi des pierres vivantes de la Communauté qui les a engendrés à la foi. Dans cette perspective, ceux-ci soccuperont avec soin de leur propre perfectionnement culturel et de leur formation spirituelle, pour être des agents de paix et des messagers dun monde plus uni, davantage réconcilié et plus libre[4]. Jexhorte, enfin les agents pastoraux à poursuivre[5] avec détermination leur service dans le milieu particulièrement sensible dévangélisation et de promotion humaine. Je souhaite que des suggestions valables sortent de ce Congrès, de même quune impulsion renouvelée à lengagement international en vue de la promotion de la condition des étudiants étrangers, dont la présence doit être considérée de toute façon comme un facteur positif denrichissement humain et culturel ». Let us now build further on the foundations of that very encouraging exhortation of the late Pope John-Paul II!
answers to the questionnaire
1) Let me also thank those of you who made the effort of answering the questionnaire, namely, the chaplaincies mentioned on the first page. The answers to the questionnaire truly represent a very rich treasure of experiences and realizations in our sector of welcoming, helping, guiding and preparing the international students for their future life, when they go back home.
2) Let us now reflect on the target group (les sujets, in French) of the students we deal with. What category of students falls specifically under our responsibility? Who have we to consider as members of our flock? Who are those whom we should shepherd so dearly[8] ?
1) Their numbers vary of course a lot from country to country. (US 600,000; UK and Germany respectively 220,000; Austria and France respectively: 200,000; Japan 80,000) We can consider that foreign students represent, on the average, 12 to 16% of the total number of students in the Western World. Some countries (The Netherlands and Belgium, for instance) try to give more attention to African students (50% in Delft, for instance) and also quite often to female students. Most countries experience a sharp increase of Chinese students. On the other hand, in Canada, for instance, the foreign students represented, in 2003/2004, only 7% of the university population; and that was nearly double the 4% of a decade earlier. Whatever it may be, the total number of international students seems to grow steadily year after year. Switzerland seems to be the country where the percentage of foreign students is the highest: 40% in Geneva, 20.8% in Lausanne, 15.6% in Frieburg, and in Zurich, 21% in the polytechnic school and 13.5% in the University. Why is Switzerland so attractive? Beautiful nature, high mountains, pure air, ski resorts who knows?[9]
2) We can divide those students into the following categories: - Students who come from developing countries. Most of them are admirable people, whose real purpose is to acquire the necessary knowledge and techniques to be able to lead developing projects in their home countries. Others, assuming that they can be more effective as long as they are pursuing their student life abroad (éternels étudiants), betray in fact their first ideals with the risk of slipping little by little into the categories of true immigrants or refugees, without the necessary papers to be in order with the social laws of the host-country. The USA puts it as follows: One of the pastoral concerns includes helping the students maintain a balance between immersion in a new culture and maintaining ties with their own culture; helping to combat culture clashes caused by insensitivity to cultural differences and addressing religious differences in the practice of ritual and liturgy. - Students who come from the ex-communist countries from Eastern Europe, mostly thanks to scholarships from the Tempus projects given by the E.U. - Students from EU countries whose studies are partially financed by the Erasmus Program of the European Union, so that they can pursue part of their studies at other Universities and High Schools inside the European Union. - A small group of students are financially totally independent, as long as it goes, of course! Living thanks to the generosity of parents or some other wealthy donors, their situation can seem quite good for a certain time, but remains very fragile, as anything can happen at any time in the future. - The growing number of Chinese students everywhere in the Western world is a new phenomenon. They are often the only child of the family. In most cases, their parents pay generously the necessary fees. Those students are very often hard working people, sustaining each other through associations of their own flock.
summary in french:
Qui sont ils, ces étudiants étrangers, dont nous nous sentons si responsables?
On ne peut donc pas les classer à proprement parler dans les catégories classiques de personnes « immigrées » ou « émigrées ». Peut-on alors parler dune sorte de « tourisme », mais où la « dolce farniente » serait remplacée par un travail intellectuel intense, constitué premièrement de lécoute attentive dun maître à penser, dun travail de réflexion personnelle, de mémoire, daudace intellectuelle, dinnovation, etc.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
3) What are the needs of the international students? - As we talk about students, we have to acknowledge that the first desire of every student is to be accepted by a University or a Technical High School of an internationally recognized academic standing, where he can get a good education, meeting interesting professors, receiving from them substantial teaching and good introduction for further studies and research work. - So we should not forget that the best students aim, first and foremost, to get at the University or High School of they choice the best education and scientific training they can expect to receive.[12] Thats why the first environment the student has to become familiar with is the University itself, its specific life and culture, as also everything that surrounds it. Luckily, most Colleges have an International Office and staff members who deal with overseas students.[13] - The second important, even essential, factor is, of course, to get the necessary scholarship or financial help in order to be able to make the dream of so many young people, especially of those who come from developing countries, come true. The questionnaire reveals different funds from where students can get such study-grants, namely, for instance:
The report of the Katholischer Akademischer Ausländer Diest says the following: An increase in the internationalization of the universities is a process which is most desirable for the Catholic Church if it includes better access to education and research for the poorer countries of the globe and the creation of platforms for continent spanning, interdisciplinary and inter-religious meetings. The process furthered since the middle of the 90s in Germany is at the same time under a pressure of globalization and Europeanization in view of the fact that an international educational market and a common European area of higher education are emerging. According to the latest data (2001/02), Germany[15] already ranks third among the host countries world-wide (after the USA and Great Britain) with approx. 206,000 foreign students. This is an 11% share in the total number of students.
These EU programs attract many students. They nowadays represent even more than half of the number of international students in the European Universities. A matter of reflection would be: what political aims are pursued by those groups who attract international students to study in foreign countries? Is it a matter of brain gain or of brain drain, by some modern headhunting techniques? But luckily, students are more than only brains to be filled with modern science. They have a body to be sheltered and looked after, a soul and a spirit to be fostered. So, international students need, more than others, Student Residences, where they can find a safe home away from home, Student Clubs for the need they have of meeting each other, exchanging their different cultures in a friendly atmosphere of dialoguing and respecting each others differences, and, last but not least, true Chaplaincies, where they can find solace for the Heart, the Spirit and the Soul existing in the deepest self of every human being. The aim of a Congress such as ours, is to exchange the experiences we have in welcoming, accompanying and guiding international students, helping them not only to succeed in their studies but also, as far as we can, to become true adults, with a high sense of responsibility for their own future, that of their families and, last but not least, the sustainable and harmonious development of their home countries.
4) The other urgent needs of the foreign students and how to satisfy them:
Le rapport Suisse le dit de cette manière: Dans nos universités, à cause du contexte culturel et confessionnel propre à la Suisse, il y a de facto une situation de pastorale cuménique auprès des étudiants, par le contact régulier et journalier mais aussi officiel et plus, structurel, entre les aumôniers catholiques et protestants. Les aumôneries et leurs équipes pastorales sont soit en relation cuménique étroite, soit structurée de manière cuménique officiellement. Elles élaborent des programmes dactions communes. Pour ce qui en est de la pastorale de dimension interreligieuse : elle varie selon les Universités. Elle va de la rencontre, du dialogue, du partage, de conférences, de cours, détude, jusquà laménagement et à la mise à disposition de lieux de prière ou des rencontre interreligieuses » The Report of The Netherlands has it as follows: The needs of the students are rather religious: they want to worship in a language they can understand, this is in English as their second language. Secondly they want to know how to cope with secular society, which is predominant in The Netherlands. There are some, specially the Chinese students, who come to us for first evangelization Many students are happy that they are able to speak about ecumenical and interfaith situations . Co-operation with other Christian churches resulted in stimulating ecumenical dialogue in the field of pastoral work in general. It was noticed that the international students were very keen[17] in getting to know each other and to deepen their faith by having occasions for ecumenical dialogue Annual trips to Taizé became customary and resulted also in an exchange of the choice of hymns so that gradually a stronger Christian community of international students has emerged, co-operating also in further activities, like bible-studies, intercultural meetings of students in general and of late, after the 11th of September, also resulting in interfaith dialogue groups Ecumenical and inter-religious activities are realized by organizing ecumenical discussions, services, interfaith dialogue groups and a national and annual interfaith congress. There are also activities in which students, from whatever religion or philosophy of life, can participate and can get to know each other, for example: outings, barbecues, Taizé-visit, Crossroads, Global Meeting Point, etc. The KAAD writes the following: As for the Catholic Church, her universal and transnational character as communion at the world level is the natural theological basis for the solidarity and dialogue in the international sector of the German universities. 1) Welcoming and 2) integrating the foreign students, 3) offering them a forum of intercultural and inter-religious exchange also through 4) homes/hostels run by Catholic dioceses or congregations-, 5) helping them in economically, socially and psychologically critical situations, are at the same time only a starting point for mutual enrichment and also prepare us to experience and learn from their cultural and spiritual differences and profundity. This dimension of the university chaplaincies as intercultural and inter-religious learning and study communities is recognized by the German bishops and expressed in an exemplary way, for example, in a decree of the Archbishop of Cologne (September 1999). The very original and new initiative of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, namely the Fondazione Nostra Aetate, created in Rome, in May 1990, is also worth mentioning: That foundation distributes annually fifty scholarships for the benefit of university students of other religions, mostly for Muslims from North Africa, the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, India and Central Asia. The Foundation hopes, by this way, that those students would get either a valuable introduction or deeper knowledge of the Christian religion thanks to the courses they follow in some Pontifical University in Rome. The Foundation also tries to find suitable accommodations for these students (religious houses, for instance), where they can learn something about Christianity, experienced from the inside, so to say: Conoscenza del cristianismo dallinterno. Once a month, one of the officials of the Foundation organizes a meeting where the students have to share about the progress of the work they do. A general discussion is also held about everyones experiences on religious dialogue they had with other people. A propos de la dimension oeucuménique et interreligieuse de la Pastorale universitaire, le rapport Belge écrit ce qui suit : « La mobilité actuelle tant au plan du personnel académique que des étudiants universitaires pousse à la plus grande ouverture qui soit entre tous ceux qui font partie intégrante des Universités, partout dans le monde ». On ne peut donc pas ne pas constater la pluralité extrême dopinions philosophiques et religieuses qui existe parmi les étudiants dans toutes les universités, quelles quelles soient. Le principe de base à maintenir, ou à acquérir sil le faut, cest dabord dessayer de mieux connaître et de mieux comprendre lopinion dautrui. Cest ensuite dapprofondir sa propre foi et son identité à soi, Cest enfin dentrer en dialogue avec autrui, en osant confronter en toute amitié les opinions les plus diverses. Il faut même parfois aller jusquà accepter chez autrui certaines différences dopinion avec lesquelles nous ne pouvons être daccord ni approuver sans nous renier nous-même. Mais il est vrai que le problème le plus difficile à gérer cest celui de la prolifération de nouvelles églises, quon appelle souvent sectes aujourdhui. Chacun aime bien, en effet, se retrouver pour prier avec les gens de son propre pays, de son propre clan, parlant la même langue, ayant les mêmes coûtumes, les mêmes croyances jusquaux mêmes chorales , parfois ! Lunité, dans ces cas, nest effectivement pas si facile à maintenir... Elle a son prix, pourtant » !
5) What are the principal motivations that support the pastoral care and the theology of the engagement with foreign students? This is a very interesting question indeed that forces each one of us to do a kind of spiritual introspection. The different responses are: - The need of the international university student for a specific pastoral care different from the normal parish community and specifically geared towards the needs of the person in his/her student-time. It is not only a time for further education, but also for further personal formation including spirituality, ethics, and morality. Next to fulfilling this need, the chaplaincy tries to emphasize the ecumenical and inter-religious aspects, and further educates the student in his/her religious knowledge (bible study), especially to shoulder his/her responsibility in the students own, situation of church work, country. Through the magazine the global student we also try to establish contacts between alumni worldwide and with universities. (The Netherlands) - The commitment to foreign students providing a home and spiritual guidance to people from abroad. Also, the wish to be close to the young people as they often go through big intellectual, personal and existential challenges during this period of time. (Sweden) - The responsibility of the local Church to welcome and integrate the stranger in our midst according to our available resources. Universities are increasingly multicultural and diverse, the Church and the university chaplaincies have an important role in promoting mutual respect and tolerance. (England and Wales) - Concern about the welfare and the pastoral care of foreign students, inviting them to participate in the ministry with us as far as possible and awareness raising with the general student body, involving them in lobbying, fund-raising and outreach to the developing world Giving them, through cultural evenings, some insight into the various cultures on the campus. (Ireland) - « La certitude de la presence de Dieu dans les divers lieux et milieux universitaires et dans le dialogue entre la science, la foi et la culture. Dautre part, il ya la solicitude et la charité envers létranger, et notre désir de partager au maximum leur vie quotidienne, par une presence dans les diverses activités universitaires (cours, culture, sport, repas, fêtes, etc.). Nous avons la certitude que ces partages sont une voie pastorale dévangélisation, damour et de respect de ces étudiants étrangers » (Suisse). - « Notre motivation principale de Pasteur est bien de soutenir ces jeunes dans leur vie chrétienne dans nos pays du Maghreb où, dans le milieu universitaire, ils ont à porter témoignage de leur foi chrétienne. Ils sont les seuls jeunes de nos diocèses et donc apportent aussi leur dynamisme. Ils sont capables de prendre leurs responsabilités de laïcs dans lanimation des communautés. Ils sont un lien de plus en plus fort avec les Eglises subsahariennes, doù la présence dans le clergé de prêtres fidei donum ou de religieux issus des mêmes pays et les apports ponctuels de théologiens ou biblistes des Eglises dAfrique subsaharienne » (Maghreb). The Belgian report mentions the following: « Les motivations qui nous poussent à nous engager dans ce secteurs sont multiples.
6) As a conclusion of this responses to the synthesis of the questionnaire, let us consider question 3, namely: What Church Institution in the different countries, takes the responsibility of the Pastoral and Social care for international students? Indicate the strong and weak points of the choices that had been taken. - At grass-root level, the student Chaplaincies take on their shoulders the broadest responsibilities in this sector of pastoral and social care for international students. Student chaplaincies have even been promoted, in some countries, in accordance with Canon Law, as non territorial, personal parishes for all those who are involved in the life of the Academic Institutions. These chaplaincies are often divided in 2 sections: one section more specialized in the Pastoral and Social care of students from abroad[19], the other section being directed more to the students from within. Father McCoy passed me a very interesting essay signed by Rev. Dr. Peter McGrail and Professor John Sullivan under the title dancing on the edge: a report on catholic chaplaincies in higer eduction[20]. I just want to quote here one idea about what chaplains sometimes feel about the work situation in their daily life: The sense of isolation felt by many chaplains is most painfully experienced in their relationship with the institutional church that appoints them. Individual support varies, and can be good, but there are very few systems in place for sustained supervision and support of chaplains and chaplaincy. One good point for the work done by the chaplains for international students, and I quote once more: Most institutions report that the bulk of their Sunday congregation was made up of international students. The fact is, on the one hand, that at the highest level of the Catholic Church, the Holy See, three Dicasteries are involved in the pastoral care for international students. First of all, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. And nobody can deny that they are, up to now, the most active in this field. But as the target group of our pastoral work is students at Universities and High Schools, it is more than normal that the Congregation for Catholic Education should also be involved in this field, and also, last but not least, the Congregation for the Evangelization of the Peoples, specially Missio when those students are religious: brothers and sisters from religious orders or even priests who come from mission countries. Of course, the Holy Father himself, especially Pope John Paul II, has always firmly sustained and protected all those who devote their life working in the field of Pastoral and Social Care for international students[21].
[1] The First World Congress for the Pastoral Care for Foreign Students was held in September 1996. [2] It is necessary to switch from dispersed interventions in urgent matters, and set up a true organized system of social and pastoral assistance for the international students. [3] The students who come from developing countries and have acquired knowledge and new modern skills in up to date Universities can do a lot to help their countries out of the underdevelopment and their deep miseries by whiles. [4] We have to invest in the education of future elites who should acknowledge the responsibilities they have in returning to their home countries, dedicating themselves to the benefit of their people. [5] Pastoral agents have to be encouraged in pursuing the work of evangelization and human promotion. [6] Tunisia (4,500 foreign students), Algeria (2,000), Marocco (10,000) [7] « Une université dEté euro-méditéranéenne à linitiative de nos Eglises ! » [8] Isaiah 40:11: He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead the mother sheep. [9] One of our participants explained to me that those statistics do not much in his country. The high number of students includes also those of them who were born in Switzerland of parents who didnt yet get the Swiss nationality. [10] On ne peut pas taire la vigilance extrême quil faut avoir actuellement à dépister et à contrer sans hésitation et sans merci des fauteurs de troubles et dattentats de toutes sortes qui seraient le fait danciens étudiants étrangers qui ont choisi de rester dans les pays daccueil pour les anéantir subtilement comme le font certaines sectes terroristes de nos jours ! [11] Bien sûr, il peut y avoir des excuses valables et aussi un remboursement de la bourse aux fonds de développement donateurs. [12] Universities are international and multicultural communities. They have the key role to play in the global challenge of justice and peace. They provide a unique environment for exchange and mutual understanding. World awareness is enhanced among home students by the presence of their international peers. [13] The Chaplains are very much involved with overseas students and try to involve them in college life! They try to meet each student group at the start of term and invite them to visit them during their time in College. We have to help them if they need it. Faith issues come mostly to the fore if they have a family crisis or bereavement back home! [14] KAAD = 60 scholarships for students from developing countries; JUSTINUS-WORK = 160; AFRO-ASIAN Institute = 250. The KAAD report is absolutely outstanding: In terms of a general conclusion the German experience favors clearly a particular pastoral approach towards migrants in the education and research field through university chaplaincies, international student hostels and scholarships organizations, which combines material, educational and spiritual assistance, closely linked to development activities and spiritual exchange with partner-Churches mainly in developing countries. [15] Other German organizations that grant scholarships usually outside Germany: Adveniat, Missio, Renovabis, Stipendiumwerk, Lateinamerika-Deutschland + the payments of individual dioceses for foreign priests as well as of religious congregations for their members. [16] The spiritual challenges of ecumenism, on the one hand, and that of inter-religious encounters and understanding, on the other hand. The first challenge being to deepen ones own religious identity first and to avoid superficial settlements and naïve relativism in these matters. [17] Sweden has a different approach. It says: Often the students re-evaluate their faith during their studies abroad. They are looking for guidance in questions of morals and faith and want to encounter the intellectual challenges they experience in their studies out of their commitment as Catholics. The interest in ecumenical questions is mostly very low. [18] Cest à dire : de cette sorte de pax qui est en dieu et qui rayonne de tout côté par son esprit ! [19] The Netherlands has the following remark: The chaplaincy for international students wants to remain more or less independent from the chaplaincy for the Dutch students, because the mode of work is quite different, both in form and content. We experience some difficulties in the work of integration, because many Dutch student chaplains are not prepared for the reception of international students. The Dutch students do not readily mix with international students, except those who have had the chance to travel abroad. [20] This work contains 4 Chapters: 1) Chaplaincy and the Changing Profile of UK Students, 2) Relationship with the institution: Operating within an Ambiguous Set of Parameters, 3) Relations with Other Religious Bodies within the institution: Ecumenism and Interfaith Engagement, 4) Supporting and Managing the Work of Chaplains: The Relationship with the Catholic Community. [21] See for instance the letter of the Holy Father, John Paul II at the end of the First World Congress for the Pastoral Care of Foreign Students. See also the letters of Cardinal Schotte (27.09.03) and Cardinal Sepe (06.03.04) [22] The Pastoral Care for foreign students is closely related with the University Pastoral Care in general. In 16 of the 27 German dioceses, one of the Vicars General or an Auxiliary Bishop coordinates this specific work On the explicit request of the Bishops Conference of Germany, the KAAD has become the official Clearing-organization and coordinator of the matter. [23] The Bishop in each diocese appoints chaplains, resources university parishes and chaplaincy centers. At the ecumenical level, the Churches Commission for International Students (CCIS) is a national group which works with the churches, the government and the universities to support international students. The chaplaincies in each university, in co-operation with the Student Service and the International Student Department at the relevant university, often work together.
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