CHICAGO – DePaul University is honored to announce it will serve as the Chicago-based partner for the Vatican’s Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education. The university is launching the DePaul Institute for a Sustainable Future to drive the collaboration, expanding a shared commitment to advancing integral ecology and human development.

DePaul is committed to spreading the message of “Laudato si’” in Chicago, connecting with an established network of community partners. Through participation in the Global Alliance for Laudato si’, DePaul will collaborate with more than 60 research and higher education institutions across 35 countries on projects advancing integral ecology.

A partnership to empower faith-centered sustainability

In 2023, Pope Francis established the Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education, an initiative of the Vatican State, to carry out education on the economy of sustainability and ecology. The center’s work is oriented around Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato si’,” which deepened the Catholic Church’s faith-inspired commitment to a vision of the common good that requires addressing the environmental issues of our time.

Stemming from DePaul’s mission-based commitment to the dignity of others and the importance of a healthy environment for human flourishing, this partnership provides a unique opportunity for students and faculty to learn and apply sustainability practices. 

“As a Catholic, Vincentian university, DePaul recognizes that caring for our common home is inseparable from caring for one another," said Robert L. Manuel, president of DePaul University. "The health of our planet directly affects the well-being of people and communities around the world, particularly those most vulnerable to a changing environment.” 

DePaul and the center have proposed several joint initiatives, including developing executive education and certification offerings to engage students and working professionals with the principles of “Laudato si’.” The proposed courses incorporate curriculum on ethical leadership, including the exploration of artificial intelligence for the common good and sustainable business practices, supporting professionals in driving social good across industries.  

“Borgo Laudato Si’ was established to offer a model of integral ecology that can be shared and replicated around the world. The Global Alliance, established here in March 2026, gives concrete expression to this vision by bringing together universities and research institutions committed to caring for our common home,” said Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato si’ Center for Higher Education. “DePaul University’s participation strengthens this network and creates new opportunities to equip younger generations to become protagonists of the change our world needs. We look forward to the lasting fruits this collaboration can bring to education, research and the common good.”

The university also plans to organize visits to the center's headquarters in Rome, facilitating in-person connection with the people and projects at the heart of this work.

“Through our partnership with the Vatican, DePaul is harnessing the expertise and creativity of our faculty and students to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time," Manuel said. "I am especially proud of the faculty who are bringing this new institute to life and expanding opportunities for interdisciplinary research, teaching and collaboration. We are honored to pursue this meaningful work together, preparing students to become leaders who will shape a more sustainable future.”

New institute to support interdisciplinary sustainability engagement for students and faculty

Jointly housed in DePaul’s College of Science and Health and Driehaus College of Business, the Institute for a Sustainable Future will facilitate collaboration between faculty encompassing the science of sustainability and its application in global business practices and other disciplines.

“Sustainability isn’t just a theoretical concept learned in a classroom,” said Alyssa Westring, professor and chair of management and entrepreneurship and co-director of the new institute. “The principles of sustainability are applicable in every field. When leaders are equipped with the right tools, they’re empowered to incorporate integral human development and sustainability into their organizations – whether that organization is for-profit, non-profit, faith-based or educational.”

DePaul researchers are already involved with this essential work. Across academic disciplines, faculty are conducting research on sustainable urban forestry in Environmental Science, using psychology and GIS to map the equity of public spaces and examining sustainable supply chains in the College of Business, integrating students into every step in the research process.

“DePaul’s leadership in sustainability research in Chicago has driven tangible solutions in our community and worldwide,” said Christie Klimas, professor and chair of environmental science and studies and co-director of the Institute for a Sustainable Future. “This institute builds on the shoulders of many at DePaul who have embedded sustainability efforts and initiatives in our operations, teaching and care for each other and our larger community.”

The institute will launch a Sustainability Scholars Program in Fall 2027, supporting a cohort of 20 students on a four-year interdisciplinary journey that integrates sustainability into coursework across colleges. 

Through a carefully designed curriculum and hands-on research experiences, students will complete a sequence of sustainability-focused courses. Students will work with mentors to design and implement applied research projects generating tangible impacts for DePaul and the wider Chicago community in collaboration with the Steans Center and community partners.

The institute will generate new curricular opportunities to engage with sustainability and promote existing pathways for students to engage with the topic. Outside of the classroom, it will explore ways to increase sustainability on campus, such as supporting DePaul’s student-run urban garden and the newly launched SWAP program, where those in campus housing can donate furniture and other items at move-out to incoming students.

Learn more about the Institute for a Sustainable Future here.

###