Mission & vision

MISSION

The International Council of Universities in the spirit of St Thomas Aquinas (ICUSTA) is a voluntary consortium of Catholic institutions, foundations and associations of higher education, and other Universities that faithfully adhere to the ideals and teachings of St Thomas Aquinas and are committed to the following:

• Promoting a passion for truth and trust in reason and knowledge in the service of humanity;
• Transmitting to faculty and students the “forma mentis” or Thomistic way of doing research, inquiry and learning;
• Providing faculty and students with a Christian vision of the human person, especially the ethical and religious dimensions;
• Furthering an institutional Catholic identity that cultivates a dialogue between faith and culture and fosters service to the human community; and,
• Encouraging international cooperation among its members through faculty and student exchanges and through other appropriate collaborative initiatives.

VISION

Inspired by the life, works and tradition of St Thomas Aquinas, ICUSTA is an international community of Catholic institutions of higher education and Catholic Associations and Foundations and other Universities committed to: international diversity; instilling a love of and a passion for truth; and supporting religious and moral principles that will enable our students and faculty to meet the global challenges of the 21st century. Consequently, ICUSTA will dedicate its efforts: to the pursuit of academic excellence; to reasoned discourse; to social responsibility; and to a life of faith.

The Defenders of the Eucharist (1625), Peter Paul Rubens.