Comillas Strengthens Intercultural Dialogue Through IMPACCT Project Collaboration

We spoke with Stephan Pruchniewicz, professor at the Institute of Catholic Theology at Justus Liebig University Giessen (Germany), who shared his insights on the project, the challenges of cultural diversity in education, and the role of Comillas within the EUPeace alliance.

What is the IMPACCT project and its main objective?

“The IMPACCT project is a mobility initiative for teacher training students studying religion. It aims to give them the opportunity to study for a semester at one of the partner universities in another country. IMPACCT also offers lecturers the opportunity to take part in short-term exchanges. A third area is the joint work of academics from the participating universities on specific issues of interreligious and intercultural education in teacher training.”

How did your involvement in this project begin, and what role does Justus Liebig University Giessen play in its development?

“When I finally took up my professorship at Justus Liebig University in 2022, I joined the project straight away. At that time, IMPACCT was expanded to include Catholic and Protestant theology, and I represented my Catholic institute. In many respects, Justus Liebig University is the organisational head of the IMPACCT project. The IMPACCT conferences, which have taken place several times, were held in Giessen, for example, and the anthology on the first IMPACCT funding phase, which was published a few weeks ago, was also organised and produced in Giessen.”

How do you see the current situation of teaching in schools regarding cultural and religious diversity?

“In my opinion, cultural and religious diversity has long ceased to be a special feature or exceptional situation in schools. Rather, it is simply the horizon within which schooling takes place today. Unfortunately, this has not yet had a sufficient impact on teacher training and the self-image of schools.”

What strategies can help improve interreligious dialogue outside the university setting?

“As in many other areas, the school system plays a crucial role here. School should be a place where pupils can and should gain experience of interfaith dialogue from the outset. However, the concept of interfaith dialogue must be broadly defined. It is not about dialogue between religious institutions and their theologies, which children and young people are introduced to. It is about the ability of religious and non-religious people to engage in dialogue against the backdrop of the social demands of the here and now. This can begin at school.”

What differences do you find between teacher training in Spain and Germany regarding intercultural competence?

“As I have only had a very limited insight into the Spanish system so far, my answer here must be very cautious. However, my first impression is that, with regard to teacher training in Germany, awareness of cultural plurality has already left a stronger institutional mark, for example at universities. If theology is also understood as cultural studies, then Justus Liebig University, for example, benefits in its teacher training programmes from the fact that it has three theological institutes (Protestant, Islamic, Catholic) that also work closely together in these programmes.”

What is your perception of the role of religion in Spanish society today?

“My initial and therefore only rudimentary impression is that Spanish society is slowly moving away from equating religion with Catholicism on the one hand, and on the other hand, the perception of people without religious affiliation is also changing. It will certainly be exciting to observe in the near future how the Muslim community will become involved in social and political events in Spain.”

How can Comillas contribute to creating new synergies in intercultural and interreligious dialogue?

“I believe that Comillas can contribute an aspect that has been little or not at all present so far, namely the perspective of the Spanish-speaking and Spanish-influenced areas of the world. Even though IMPACCT is a European project, global aspects also play a role here. Comillas is certainly best placed among all the partner universities to contribute this.”

How can the EUPeace alliance benefit interreligious dialogue and cooperation among European universities?

“Here, I can actually refer to question 7. I believe that the EUPeace programme should primarily create spaces for experience and encounter. These spaces are important for contextualising and energising every scientific, academic and theoretical endeavour. It simply brings together people and their perspectives and expertise who would otherwise probably never have met – and encounters may not be the beginning of everything, but they are a decisive step in every beginning.”

Comillas’ involvement in EUPeace reflects its commitment to fostering intercultural understanding and dialogue in education, paving the way for future projects and collaborations that strengthen international cooperation in teacher training.