The 17th day of August 2024 was a day of celebration at Hekima University College (HUC). Many invited guests trooped in to listen to the inaugural lecture delivered by His Eminence Very Reverend Peter Cardinal K.A. Turkison, President of Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. The theme of the lecture was “Re-imaging Power Dynamics in the Ecclesial and Social-Political Loci: Lessons from Vatican II, Ecclesia in Africa and Synod on Synodalidty”
In marking the new academic year, participants also embraced its forty-one year in existence thus Hekima at Forty-One (HUC@41). Other the distinguished persons present were His Grace Very Reverend Philip Anyolo, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Nairobi, His Lordship Very Reverend Rodrigo Mejia Saldarriaga, S.J., Vicar Apostolic Emeritus of Soddo, Ethiopia, and Titular Bishop of Vulturia and Chair in African Studies of HUC, Rev. Fr. John the Baptist Anyeh-Zamcho, SJ Socius of the President and Chief of Staff of JCAM, The Vice Chancellor of the Catholic University of East Africa (CUEA), Very Rev. Professor Steven Mbugua Ngari, The Vice Chancellor of Tangaza University, Rev. Professor Patrick Mwania, CSSp, The Principal of Hekima University College, Rev. Dr Marcel Uwineza, S.J. and Ms. Margaret Muhoro, Chair of the University Council just to name but a few.
HUC is an establishment of The Society of Jesus commonly known as The Jesuits which is a worldwide catholic order. It was founded in 1984 as a Jesuit Theologate center which has transformed to the present day constituent college of the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA). HUC offers Philosophy, Theology and a variety of social Science courses. It has other centers that compliment it within its setup namely Hekima Institute of Peace Studies and International Relations (HIPSIR), Jesuit School of Theology (JST) Center for Research, Training and Publications(CRTP), Center for Interfaith Studies in (CISA) Jesuit Centre for Safeguarding in Africa (JCSA) and Jesuit Historical Institute in Africa (JHIA) which focuses in preserving historical knowledge in Africa and Madagascar.
Father John the Baptist, SJ gave a speech on behalf of JCAM President the Most Rev. Fr. José Lukoli Minaku, SJ. As he did so, he did not forget to acknowledge that he was duly honored in representing his Superior by conveying his greetings to the gathering. He congratulated His Eminence Peter Cardinal K.A. Turkison, SJ, for speaking about the church of today after Vatican II and all collaborators, partners and the community for the role they play noting their solitude, deliberation and presence cannot go unnoticed. All these is a result of the meetings and deliberate effort that each one have put in elevating Hekima to a center of excellent. He emphasized that HUC is not interested in expanding numbers or initiating non-essential courses but it is focused in actual transformation of giving quality and value of its products by proposing real-time change and transformation.
Father JB as he is fondly known said that, as HUC celebrates its 41 years of excellence and by all standards considered a crown jewel of Jesuit higher education endeavors of Africa and Madagascar bosting very competent and tested leaders and very compelling strategic leaders. The newly approved Hekima University College Strategic Plan 2024-2030 suggests that the college is actively promoting excellence in teaching, research, intellectual scholarships all these infused in the two features of Jesuit humanism and African heritage. He clarified that All institutes that make up the institution clearly helps us discern that HUC is not focused on expanding numbers, and most importantly, it is not interested in repeating structures perpetuating injustice and ignorance. Instead, it mainly focuses on proposing real change and transformation.
He added that HUC does not identify itself in repeated structures that perpetuate injustice and ignorance. So HUC’s focus is in proposing real time change and transformation because the Jesuit Charism advocate for search of wisdom thus the name Hekima. Therefore, expansion has been steady and dauntless with unique strategic positioning that very few can imitate.
In his parting shot, Fr. JB encouraged the gathering to rise to the occasion and see this moment as the Kairos moment for Africa since Hekima Strategic Plan 2024 – 2030 reminds us that as the two-hundredth anniversary of the restoration of the Society of Jesus was nearing, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, S.J., the then-General of the Society of Jesus, made a crucial decision to empower Africa to interpret its own history. “My question to you is, how can this tool, with such a humble posture and masked origins, become a formidable tool for the continent’s future?”
Geoffrey Obatsa,
Administrative Assistant, JHIA
