The International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU), established by decree of the Holy See in 1948 and recognized by Pope Pius XII in 1949, is a global network of Catholic universities and institutions of higher learning. Headquartered in Paris, the Federation promotes academic collaboration, scientific research, and dialogue on the future of higher education, while fostering the Catholic intellectual tradition across the world.

1975: S B a member of IFCU

In 1975, St. Berchmans College was admitted to the IFCU, becoming one of only seven colleges from India—and one of three from Kerala—to enjoy this distinction. It was a significant recognition of the college’s academic standing and its commitment to the ideals of Catholic higher education. Over the years, the principals of the college actively participated in the Federation’s General Assemblies and international conferences, strengthening the institution’s engagement with the global catholic academic community.

At the IFCU General Assembly held in France in 1991, Rev. Dr. George Madathilparambil, principal, was elected to the Executive Committee for the 1991–1994 term. During the meeting, he extended an invitation to host the next Executive Committee meeting at St. Berchmans College. Accordingly, from 18 to 22 February 1992, the college had the unique honour of hosting the IFCU Executive Committee—the first such meeting ever held in India.

The gathering brought together eminent scholars and educational leaders from across the globe, including Rev. Fr. Julio Dutario, President of the Federation and President of the Pontifical University of Ecuador, Prof. Marc Caudron, Secretary General of the Federation from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, and members from Belgium, Brazil (2), France (4), Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Spain, the Netherlands, the United States (2), and Zaire.

For the St. Berchmans community, it was a memorable occasion of learning, fellowship, and international collaboration. The delegates departed with warm memories of the college’s hospitality and its vibrant academic spirit.

2005: Two milestones in S B history

Fr. Tom Kunnumpuram, principal from 2002 to 2007, envisioned an international conference that would bring global scholarship to the St. Berchmans campus. Yearlong preparations were made to hold the conference in the second week of August 2005, timed to coincide with the Nehru Trophy Boat Race. The President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, was invited to inaugurate the event and was shown the draft concept. Deeply appreciative of the college and the conference theme, he expressed his inability to attend on the scheduled dates but promised to visit the college during his next trip to Kerala. He fulfilled that promise on 29 July 2005, interacting with the students of the college. Thus, what had been planned as one major event on the S. B. campus became two landmark moments in the annals of the college.

While the visit of President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam became a landmark moment in the public memory of the college, it also overshadowed the International Conference for which he had originally been invited. As a result, the conference—though a major academic milestone in its own right—came to be remembered less prominently than the President’s visit.

International Conference with Special Support from the IFCU

Extensive preparations were undertaken for the first international conference hosted on the St. Berchmans College campus. These included the construction of venue of international status on campus, formation of international and national advisory boards, the mobilisation of sponsorships, the invitation of delegates from India and abroad, and detailed arrangements for venue, transport, accommodation, and hospitality.

Conference Venue

The three-day conference was held on the St. Berchmans College campus at Changanacherry. The inaugural ceremony was conducted in Kavukkattu Hall, the main auditorium of the college, while the scientific sessions were arranged in three separate halls across the campus. In preparation for the conference, the Bursar, Rev. Fr. Gigy Mullamkuzhi, took up the task of constructing an air-conditioned hall, the first of its kind on campus, which was completed just in time for the event. This hall was later named Antony Cardinal Padiyara Hall and, in 2021, was converted into a theatre-style venue. The conference halls were named Nila Hall, Periyar Hall, and Pampa Hall, reflecting Kerala’s river heritage. The concluding session was held at Hotel Lake Palace, Alappuzha.

Organising Committee

International and national advisory boards, along with various organising committees, were constituted to guide the academic, logistical, and administrative aspects of the conference.

Sponsors

The conference received support from several governmental and non-governmental organisations, including the International Federation of Catholic Universities, Paris, which extended special support; the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India; the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India; the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Government of India; the Science, Technology and Environment Council, Government of Kerala; the Rubber Board, Government of India; KINFRA, Government of Kerala; The Malayala Manorama Co. Ltd., Kottayam, Kerala; DC Books, Kottayam, Kerala; Canara Bank Ltd.; The Federal Bank Ltd.; the SB College Alumni Association; the SB College Staff Cooperative Bank; the SB College Teaching Staff Association; Hotel Arcadia, Kottayam; Hotel Lake Resort, Kumarakom; and Hotel Lake Palace, Alleppey.

The event was organised with such efficiency that the surplus funds were later used to purchase computers and equipment for the research laboratories.

Theme

The theme of sustainable development was still gaining wider academic attention in 2005, when the United Nations had declared the Decade of Education for Sustainable Development. The idea sought to hold together economic development, environmental protection, and social well-being as interdependent goals rather than competing priorities. For St. Berchmans College, the theme also carried a spiritual resonance. True to the college’s Catholic roots, the conference invoked St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of ecology, and included a conference prayer that located scientific inquiry within a broader moral and spiritual vision.

The conference thus provided a forum for scientists, scholars, and educators from across the world to examine sustainable development not only as a technical or material challenge, but also as a question of human responsibility, social justice, and care for creation.

Conference

The International Conference on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development, was held from 10 to 13 August 2005.

The conference was inaugurated by His Excellency, The Governor of Kerala Sri R.L. Bhatya and presided over by Archbishop Mar Joseph Powathil, the Patron. Dr. Jancy James, Vice Chancellor M.G. University, Prof. Rasha Al Sabah under Secretary, Minister of Higher Education, Kuwait and Prof. Pierre Becker, Secretary, Science Group, IFCU Paris were speakers on the occasion.

The conference had 250 participants, including 38 delegates from abroad. With the IFCU sponsoring ten participants from its member institutions, the conference assumed a distinctly international character. The international delegates came from Argentina, Austria, Botswana, Brazil, France, Ghana, Greece, Israel, Italy, Japan, Nepal, the Philippines, Switzerland, and Taiwan. More than 150 research papers were presented in parallel technical sessions, making it one of the largest international academic events ever hosted by the college. The delegates also experienced Kerala’s natural beauty and cultural heritage through visits to Kumarakom and by witnessing the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race from the pavilion. The concluding session of the conference was held at Hotel Lake Palace Resort, Alappuzha.

Publication

In 2006, Allied Publishers Ltd. published 475-page compendium of 68 selected papers from the conference, under three parts and 18 topics

The 2005 International Conference remains a jewel in the crown of St. Berchmans College—not only as a memorable academic event, but also as a defining moment that revealed the institution’s ability to think, act, and engage beyond familiar boundaries. It demonstrated that S B could host, convene, and contribute to conversations of international significance, opening a window to a better global future.

As St. Berchmans College enters its second century, its association with the IFCU assumes renewed significance in relation to its Catholic identity and mission. At a time when artificial intelligence, global mobility, interdisciplinary research, and new forms of learning are reshaping higher education, the college is called not merely to adapt, but to discern. In this context, the IFCU offers St. Berchmans College a vital platform to engage the world with intellectual seriousness and evangelical responsibility, while remaining rooted in the Catholic vision of education. The challenge before the college is therefore not simply to belong to a distinguished global network, but to contribute to it as a Catholic institution committed to forming persons of conscience, compassion, and competence.