Murzaku, Ph.D., Joins International Peace-Building Research - Seton Hall University

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