Chaminade President Lynn Babington, Ph.D. recently traveled to Rome for a weeklong seminar aimed at fostering new opportunities for women in leadership at Catholic institutions of higher education and promoting the importance of values-based education.
Babington was selected to participate in the Women’s Leadership Program, which is an executive initiative of the International Federation of Catholic Universities.
Participants in the gathering, from October 22 to 26, included university presidents, rectors and other distinguished women leaders from academia.
They discussed the critical role of women in Catholic higher education, the importance of advancing women in academia, and the role of service-focused Catholic education.
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The program also explored the intersection of faith, leadership and governance at Catholic universities worldwide.
While women are a powerful force in Catholic higher education leadership, they hold only 8% of top positions globally.
Organizers said the Women’s Leadership Program is designed to bring together women leaders guiding institutions with confidence, integrity and Catholic values.
Babington said it was a great honor to participate in the initiative, which included talks at LUMSA University in Rome and visits to the Vatican.
“A central area of reflection was the urgent and important work of Catholic universities to, as Pope Leo XIV’s has said, seek ‘the integral development of the human person forming intellects with a critical sense, believing hearts, and citizens committed to the common good,’” she said.
Babington added, “Those inspiring words speak eloquently to our University’s mission.”