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The Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations

The School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music is pleased to announce the development of the DCU Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations, led by Philip McDonagh.

The premise of this new Centre is that a deeper engagement by public authorities with religious perspectives can become a key resource for global diplomacy. Post-war, the UN and the European project drew on profound human values. Today, we need to do even more as we engage with new societal challenges, a broader range of dialogue partners, and new forms of knowledge. We need a richer understanding of the terms ‘religion’, ‘secular’, and the ‘public sphere.’

The European Union is committed to a ‘rules-based global order with multilateralism as its key principle.’ Working closely with colleagues in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations aims to make a distinctive contribution to this objective through teaching and education; public outreach; and research and policy-development, employing a multi-stakeholder model (interdisciplinary, inter-cultural, and with the involvement of practitioners). The Centre will seek to contribute to fresh developments building on the Good Friday/Belfast Agreement from the perspective that the peace process should continue to be a sign of hope in the wider international context 

Philip McDonagh has been appointed as the Director of the Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations. In the Department of Foreign Affairs, Philip worked on the Good Friday Agreement and in several multilateral frameworks (EU, UN, OSCE) and developed a strong interest in the intersection of religion and diplomacy as Head of Mission in India, Russia, and the Holy See. Philip is Distinguished Global Fellow at the Centre of Theological Inquiry in Princeton, a member of the Advisory Council of the Institute for Economics and Peace (Sydney), and a member of the Steering Committee of the OSCE Academic Network (Hamburg).  

The Centre for Religion, Human Values, and International Relations will support DCU’s strategic plan - TALENT, DISCOVERY, AND TRANSFORMATION – as well as current research priorities in such areas as sustainable economies and societies and educational innovation.