ENGAGING THE UNIVERSITY
WHERE FAITH & ACADEMIA MEET
We believe the gospel has something vital to say across every discipline, from politics, economics and science to ethics, education and the arts.
We want to see disciples of Jesus authentically engaging in all aspects of campus life and conversations, so that the message of the gospel reaches and transforms every part of the university. Are you ready to embrace the challenge?
Have you ever thought about…?
What’s your university well known for?
What are the most popular courses? Why?
What values does the university explicitly acknowledge?
What values do you think are implicit but rarely acknowledged?
How is your IFES group viewed by other students, academics, the administration? Why?
Which issue is currently most important on campus?
How could Christians have an impact on it?
We’re here to journey with you
The Engaging the University (ETU) team – part of our Global Resource Ministries – is here to serve you and all IFES national movements in this journey.
We want to support an incarnational, integrated, and intellectually credible Christian witness in the university world.
If you’d like to get in touch, email us at: timothee.joset@ifesworld.org.
Quick Links
What does ETU look like around the world?
Is the Bible relevant for today’s world?
Six steps to discern biblical perspectives on contemporary issuesFaithful Everywhere
Living out the gospel in creation, culture, and society
Insights into IFES: stories to tell, a vision to grasp, wisdom to share
Enrich your mind and soul with three books from IFES authors in 2023
The Logos and Cosmos Initiative (LCI) equips young Christian academics to lead projects in their universities that spark curiosity and wonder about theology and the sciences, leading to gospel-centred change in society.
Since 2020, projects in Latin America and Francophone Africa have addressed local challenges such as mental health, poverty, climate change, corruption, food security, and gender-based violence.
In 2025, the East Asia region also launched an LCI program involving students and staff.
Talks & Podcasts
What can a Christian presence in the world’s universities look like?
Here’s a playlist of inspiring ideas, challenging talks, and real-life examples.
The Homo Academicus project seeks to raise awareness about the pain and loneliness experienced by some students, researchers, and academics in pursuit of their vocation.
Through podcasts, Bible studies, and other resources, we offer hope for a positive university experience by inspiring Christian students and professors to take a different approach. Available in Portuguese, English, and Spanish.
E-Learning Courses
God loves the university! Do you?
How can you learn to see your university through God’s eyes? What would that look like as you engage with campus life and conversations? How would that perspective impact you in your particular discipline?
The ETU e-learning course will help you – as an individual and as a member of your local IFES community – to think biblically and critically about your context and your calling in the university.
Whether you’re a student, faculty member or campus staff, you will be equipped to seize the opportunities and tackle the challenges you meet as you follow Christ on campus.
The course comprises three parts, with thought-provoking quotes, readings, videos, questionnaires and worksheets.
After completing the self-study introduction, you will join other learners for online sessions with a course facilitator. These require 2-4 hours of work each week.
The courses are offered in English, French, and Spanish. To sign up for the taster course, or if you have any questions, write to engagingtheuni@ifesworld.org.
Resource Library
Bible Studies
Explore how the Word and the world connect with eight Bible studies by contributors from different cultures, each addressing a topic in their academic field.
See what the Bible has to say about the value of academic study, the dynamics of power, the role of technology, and the voice of the marginalized.
Books
Could God use the university to deepen and widen our vision of him and his world and, at the same time, call us to a unique ministry of holistic, dialogical engagement with the university?
How did Jesus open the eyes of his disciples who had difficulty seeing how the gospel makes sense of world history?
Read God’s Calling and the University to find out.
Tim Adams, IFES General Secretary“This short book from Vinoth Ramachandra draws on his 40 years of Christian witness and engagement in universities around the world to help us reflect on the changing nature and role of university and the important role of Christians in the academy. Read it and you will be inspired, encouraged and equipped in your calling to be salt and light in the university and college communities which you are a part of.”
Here’s a selection of valuable books, collated by the ETU team.
Handouts
A variety of handouts can help you work through what Engaging the University looks like in your context. For example, this is a useful tool for examining your university culture and the Christian presence in it:
Logos & Cosmos Initiative Resources
This interactive library contains resources generated through Logos & Cosmos Initiative projects in Latin America and Francophone Africa (2020-2025) – with training manuals, Bible study guides, conference presentation slides, video testimonials, and video interviews.
Journal
Word & World is an IFES publication that draws in voices from around the world to address a contemporary issue. It seeks to enable those involved in student ministry to be nourished by the gospel and attentive to what’s going on in the student world.
Support ENGAGING THE UNIVERSITY
Your gift will help students and faculty bring the transformative message of the gospel to every part of university life.
Roadmap for Staff
If you’re staff in an IFES national movement and you’re wondering how to get started with ETU in your context, this presentation offers a way ahead:
For in him all things were created:
things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
all things have been created through him and for him.