“I’d like to bring you up-to-date on the project I’ve been carrying out for the Italian AMiCUS-AUDA (Adventist University Association), focused on supporting research and scholarly studies in the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” explains Roberto Iannò, Education Director of the Italian Union of Seventh-day Adventists (SDA).
With the goal of addressing Adventist students’ needs in non–SDA universities, a scholarship was established for theses prepared within non–SDA universities, on subjects such as religion, spirituality and faith; ethics and Christian values; Adventist history; faith and science; health principles and Adventism; and so on. The project started in 2008 and has now reached the 8th edition.
Throughout the years, several students’ theses have been presented in Italian non-SDA universities. It is evident that the strength of the theses is not only in their content, but also in the fact that they present very interesting arguments, discussed in non-SDA universities that will, perhaps for the first time, hear about faith and/or Adventism. “As of 2018, we have already awarded 22 students, and on May 9, in Villa Aurora, the Italian Adventist University, we will award another 6 students,” affirmed Iannò.
Completed theses are already included in Villa Aurora’s library, in a special section, as historical memories of academic works on Adventists, presented in Italian public universities. Further on, we’d like to create a smaller series by Villa Aurora’s faculty, for works that deserve more attention. Villa Aurora and CeCSUR, Centro Culturale di Scienze Umane e Religiose (Cultural Center of Human and Religious Sciences) contribute, as well, with their faculty members because there are also professors from Villa Aurora on the examination committee.
This project has also other implications. “We are preparing a website where the theses will be put online, so that they can be consulted or used for full-text research,” affirmed Iannò. This will encourage other young people to deepen their knowledge. “In a very short period of time, you’ll be able to access them on our website: http://educazione.avventista.it/ ."
The project is carried out in partnership with: Villa Aurora, CeCSUR, the Youth Department and AUDA-AMiCUS.
The project is supported with the national education offering without weighing on the Union balance. The Italian churches’ generosity has met our expectations: it means that the Italian churches believe in this project and want to help their youth to not be anonymous, as Iannò explained.
To find the announcement for the 2018 competition that was just launched, see the website: educazione.uicca.it/documenti/concorsi/concorso-luna-e-sole/concorso-la-luna-e-il-sole-2018/
