On 24 February last, the Congregation for Catholic Education approved the new Statutes of the Faculty of Philosophy, in the light of the Apostolic Constitution Veritatis Gaudium.

Particular attention was given to reflection on the Licentiate cycle, as explained by Dean Fr Gaetano Piccolo, S.J. "We asked ourselves on the one hand where we want to take our students, and on the other hand who our students are and how they have changed over the last decade. Most of our students will go on to teach in the institutions of their home countries, so one objective of our training must be to learn to teach; secondly, we want to prepare them for research, particularly for those who will continue their training with the doctoral route.

"Students will be introduced to the fundamental content of philosophy in systematic courses, culminating in the synthesis examination, which will take the form of a lecture before a committee. The seminars, on the other hand, will be the place to learn how to read a classic from different historical periods, learning to research and develop a critical interpretation.

"The Licentiate also includes three specialisations (Theoretical, Practical, Philosophy of Religion) which have their own courses. These courses end with a written examination to help the student develop his or her ability to write a text, culminating in the presentation of the Licentiate thesis."