The President of the Spanish Catholic University of Murcia UCAM receives AlJarwan to discuss building joint cooperation with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP

Murcia, March 5, 2022

His Excellency Prof. José Luis Mendoza Perez, President of the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), received His Excellency Ahmed bin Mohamed AlJarwan, President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP, at the headquarters of the Spanish University, and in the presence of His Excellency Pablo Bellisa Alido, Vice President of the University for International Relations, and His Excellency Dr. Archbishop Antonio Alcaraz López, Vice-Chancellor and Director of IICV, His Excellency José Alarcón Troel, Director of the Office of the President and Secretary-General of the University, and Mr. This university, who was led by Prof. Dr. María Jesus Púña Dominguez, Head of the International Department of Women and Sport, and a prominent political leader of the Spanish People’s Party PP.
At the beginning of the meeting, the President of the University welcomed the President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace, and stressed that the Catholic University of Murcia (UCM) is proud to receive a distinguished diplomatic and parliamentary figure like him who has a long history at the regional and international levels – through the various organs of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP- in supporting the values and culture of pluralism Religious freedoms, peace, peaceful coexistence and tolerance in various countries of the world, especially in those brotherly and friendly countries of Spain in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The Spanish official added that he also commends the pivotal role of the United Arab Emirates and the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP in supporting – through international cooperation and participation in various international initiatives – a culture of tolerance and rejection of extremism, racism, violence and intolerance, and pushing for the establishment of cooperation relations at the regional and international levels that ensure the maintenance of security stability and peace in various countries of the world. The President of the Spanish University indicated that the university teaches a number of Emirati and Saudi students, from the Arab Gulf countries, and from various African and Asian countries, and that all the university’s activities aim to achieve the same aspirations of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace and the Vatican State to support a culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance.

The Spanish official added that the Catholic University of Murcia, UCAM, had established a Department of Peace Studies a few days ago, and that it is considering the possibility of cooperating with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP in supporting the work of this modern university department, as well as examining the possibility of establishing a department to study Arab and Islamic culture at the university, aims to promote the definition of this culture, which contributes to support convergence, understanding and mutual respect between the various religious beliefs and cultures in the world.
For his part, Ahmed AlJarwan thanked the President of the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM) for the warm reception, and AlJarwan praised the role of the Spanish University through its various departments and activities in supporting the culture of love and the values of tolerance and peaceful coexistence inside and outside this university, as well as at the international level through various institutions affiliated with the university, most notably the International Institute for Charitable and Voluntary Works (IICV). AlJarwan, after presenting the achievements of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace in front of the Spanish University officials, welcomed the presence of cooperation and partnership between the Council and the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), the aim of which is to promote joint action to achieve the goals of supporting a culture of peaceful coexistence and tolerance, by organizing joint initiatives and events. In the future, and also cooperate in building a partnership to develop and formulate study programs specialized in teaching the culture of peace and tolerance and supporting peaceful coexistence. The President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace indicated that the General Assembly of the Council had launched a few months ago the Master’s Program in Peace and Tolerance Studies.
The President of the Spanish University affirmed his welcome to establish cooperation relations with the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace GCTP, whether at the academic level or through coordination to organize and activate joint international initiatives and events that support the goals of the University and the Council in supporting the values of peaceful coexistence, pluralism, equality and tolerance.

The President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace then met with an academic team from the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), chaired by His Excellency Pablo Pleasa Alido, Vice President for International Relations, His Excellency José Alarcón Troell, Secretary General of the University, and Mr. Ernesto García Rodriguez, Coordinator of the Institutional Partnership Unit of the University , where Spanish officials discussed with Ahmed AlJarwan the idea of implementing a master’s program in Peace and Tolerance Studies and adding it to the master’s programs of the Department of International Relations Studies at the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM). Later, the Vice President of the Spanish University, Ahmed AlJarwan, was accompanied on an inspection tour inside the facilities, departments and halls of the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM), as well as in the educational and technological building (UCAM HiTech Sport & Innvation Hub) attached to the Spanish University.
The visit of the President of the Global Council for Tolerance and Peace ended with participation in a lunch organized by the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM) in honor of the reception and visit of Ahmed AlJarwan to the headquarters of the Spanish University, before he finally left the city of Murcia in southern Spain to return to the capital, Madrid.