The Catholic Social Teaching (CST) Rome Exchange: Advanced Training Experience (CREATE) is the new initiative of the Faculty of Social Science (FASS) at the Pontifical University Saint Thomas Aquinas – Angelicum in Rome. Currently focused on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), it provides ways for students and experts in Catholic social teaching (CST) to access resources and training in Rome, so as to develop their knowledge and their capability in using CST for resolving problems faced in their local reality.
Catholic social teaching Rome Exchange: Advanced Training Experience – starts from two basic ideas: (1) Catholic social thought is a powerful resource in the mission of the Church today, but often it needs to be more widely known and better operationalized in practical situations; (2) Rome is a center for the development Catholic social thought; by bringing students and experts to Rome for short or longer stays, we can help them to improve their knowledge of CST and practical skills in implementing it, while ensuring that they stay connected with their home region.
CREATE is an integrated set of 5 activities:
1. Expert Council [EC]: a network of professors and experts from different Catholic Higher Education Institutions (CHEIs) in the region meeting once a year in Rome.
2. CREATE Prize [CP]: an annual competition starting in 2021, for an original essay by a young researcher/student from the CEE on some application of CST to society.
3. Salamanca Process Scholarships [SP]: doctorate scholarship and post-doc scholarships for Dominican candidates (sisters and brothers) from Central and Eastern Europe, as part of the Salamanca Process of the Dominican Order.
4. Laudato si’ Scholarships [LS]: doctorate and post-doc scholarships for young people from the CEE region to develop their research in their home countries and institutions, with support from FASS professors. Laudato si’ scholars will come in Rome regularly over a 2-3-year period, in order to take advantage of the resources provided by the FASS and the central Catholic institutions in Rome.
5. CST Toolkit Scholarships [TX]: a semester-long program of courses in CST (January to June, starting in 2022) for CEE students at the masters or doctorate level.