Ateneo’s Fr Bobby Yap SJ to lead Asia-Pacific Jesuit universities’ organization

University President, Fr Roberto Yap SJ was elected president of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities-Asia Pacific (AJCU-AP), and appointed Secretary for Intellectual Apostolate and Universities of the Jesuit Conference of Asia-Pacific.

The announcement was made by Fr Antonio Moreno SJ, President of the JCAP, in a memo to the Conference last Friday, 8 July 2022.

Yap was elected president of AJCU-AP during the association's virtual assembly last 1 July 2022.

AJCU-AP is a "voluntary association of Jesuit higher educational institutions (HEIs) and Jesuit higher educational endeavors (HEEs) functioning within the territory of the Jesuit Conference for Asia Pacific (JCAP)," of which Ateneo de Manila University is a member.

He succeeds Prof Johanes Eka Priyatma of Sanata Dharma University in Indonesia, who has been AJCU-AP President since 2016. Priyatma was "the only lay President among the associations of Jesuit higher education institutions of the six conferences of the Society of Jesus," Moreno noted in his memo.

The appointment as JCAP Secretary for Intellectual Apostolate and Universities follows the election. Moreno has appointed Yap to the post for a term of 3 years, and renewable as long as he is AJCU-AP President.

Yap will start his first term for both positions on 1 August 2022, and will last until 31 July 2025.

Meanwhile, Prof Yoshiaki Terumichi, President of Sophia University, was elected AJCU-AP Vice President.

AJCU-AP "supports and promotes Jesuit higher education in the Asia-Pacific region," according to the Association's website. "It provides the structure for the higher educational apostolate of the JCAP."

Moreno noted that the organization "has a very significant role to play in the implementation of the Universal Apostolica Preferences (UAPs) and the JCAP Plan (2021-2025)."

The organization boasts of 21 member institutions from across the region.

"I commend to the prayers of all Fr Yap, Professor Terumichi, Professor Priyatma, and the AJCU-AP member institutions," the JCAP President added in his memo.