Murzaku, Ph.D., Joins International Peace-Building Research Group
Monday, February 6, 2023
Ines Murzaku, Ph.D., Professor of Religion and Director of the Catholic Studies Program, has accepted
the invitation to join the Inter-Religious Dialogue and Peace-Building Research Group
of the Institute of European Studies and Human Rights at the Pontifical University
of Salamanca in Spain. In this group, she will be a Research Associate, joining a
specialized global community in investigating the role of religion in international
relations and global governance.
The group’s mission is to identify common values and principles to promote a culture
of encounter among different religions, leading to peace. The research group holds
research seminars, workshops, and public events, and it publishes academic manuscripts
and policy reports.
With membership by invitation only, this group includes the world’s leading scholars
and professionals with international expertise from all over the world. Members include
university scholars, executive directors of think tanks, and policymakers of international
organizations.
“We invited Ph.D. Murzaku to be an international Research Associate in the Inter-Religious
Dialogue and Peace-Building Research Group because we are familiar with her work in
the role of religion in international relations and peace-building,” said Ph.D. Mario
Torres Jarrín, Director of the Institute of European studies and Human Rights at the
Pontifical University of Salamanca. “She is respected internationally for her scholarship
on, among other things, promoting the dignity of those living in the margins of society,
mutual understanding between Christians of different rites, and peaceful and constructive
engagement between Christianity and Islam. We are eager to work with her in the research
group to discover together potential solutions to some of the world’s most pressing
challenges.”
In addition to her widely respected scholarship on Church history; contemporary religious
figures; and interreligious dialogue, both historically and today, Murzaku is known
for her work with international organizations and with the media to bring to light
the power of faith-based initiatives and mutual understanding in the promotion of
peace. A four-time Fulbright awardee, Ph.D. Murzaku has served as the vice-president
of the Association for the Study of Nationalities and a United Nations accredited
representative for the organization Christians Associated for Relationships with Eastern
Europe. She is a regular commentator to media outlets, having worked for or collaborated
with the Associated Press, CNN, Voice of America, Relevant Radio, The Catholic Thing,
Crux – Taking the Catholic Pulse, Salt and Light Catholic Media Foundation (Canada),
Catholic World Report, National Catholic Register, The Record, The Stream, Radio Tirana
(Albania), Vatican Radio (Vatican City), and The Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN-Rome).
“I am deeply honored to have this opportunity to work with colleagues from all over
the world as we seek to meet a common goal: to build peace through interreligious
dialogue,” said Murzaku. “I hope that my experience in these fields will help me to
make a positive contribution to this research group, and I look forward to learning
from the other members about their experiences in the field. I am excited to bring
interreligious dialogue, which is part of our DNA at Seton Hall, to the world stage;
I’m sure my students will appreciate learning about how what we discuss in theory
is put into practice to make real contributions toward the cause of peace.”
Categories: Education, Faith and Service