Research Fall 2025 Newsletter Global Research Alliance

Formation of the Global Research Alliance of Jesuit Universities

Inaugural Symposium of GRAJU in the Philippines in March 2026

The Fordham Office of Research and the Office of the Provost are pleased to announce the formation of the Global Research Alliance of Jesuit Universities. The inaugural symposium of the GRAJU will be held at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines on March 10-13, 2026.

By leveraging the power of Jesuit international higher education, the Office of Research worked with the Office of the Provost in laying the groundwork for a GRAJU.  Over the past semester, the OR has had meetings with representatives of Ateneo de Manila University, Sogang University in South Korea, and Sophia University in Japan. Below are some of the details of these meetings in 2025, which were instrumental in establishing the GRAJU.

Organizing meetings for the GRAJU

Visit from Ateneo de Manilla, The Philippines – May 30, 2025

(from left to right) Cristina M. Alikpala (Ateneo), Tihana Abiala, Maria Luz Viches (Ateneo), Su-Je Cho, George Hong

Guests Dr. Maria Luz Viches, Vice President for Higher Education, and Ms. Maria Cristina M. Alikpala, AVP for University Partnerships and Internationalization, visited Fordham this past May to discuss their joining the GRAJU. This new organization is growing rapidly.

After additional discussions, Ateneo has agreed to host a conference among Jesuit Universities worldwide in Manilla next year from March 10 – 13, 2026.

Seil Oh, SJ (Sogang) visits Fordham – June 27, 2025

(from left to right) David Heston, George Hong, Seil Oh, SJ (Sogang), Dongli Zhang

Seil Oh, SJ is a Vice President for International Affairs and a professor of Sociology at Sogang University in South Korea. His main areas of research are religion, spirituality, culture, social movements, statistics, and mixed methods. His discussions with Fordham resulted in adding Sogang as a founding member of the GRAJU.

Fordham delegation visits Sogang in Seoul, South Korea – March 16-17, 2025

(from right to left) Yilu Zhou, Dongli Zhang, Ki-Eun Jang, Su-Je Cho and four Sogang administrators and faculty.

As part of the Fordham Faculty Research Abroad Program, a Fordham delegation led by Dr. Su-Je Cho, Professor and Division Chair in the Graduate School of Education, visited Sogang University in South Korea from March 16–17, 2025. The delegation also included Dr. Ki-Eun Jang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Theology; Dr. Dongli Zhang, Associate Professor in the Gabelli School of Business; and Dr. Yilu Zhou, Associate Professor and Area Chair in the Gabelli School of Business. Dr. George Hong, Chief Research Officer, delivered a virtual keynote highlighting Fordham's research priorities and initiatives. Fr. Seil Oh, Vice President for International Affairs, along with Sogang’s administrators and research partners, participated in the Research Symposium and delivered presentations. During the visit, the Fordham delegation held discussions on institutional research collaboration, participated in a research field trip, and conducted one-on-one meetings with Sogang faculty. All participants agreed that the in-person engagement was a highly effective and productive means of fostering feasible and impactful research partnerships.