ISREV News

Julian Stern the new General Secretary of ISREV

At the 2010 Session, Professor Julian Stern of York St John University was elected General Secretary of ISREV. He takes over from Professor John Hull of The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham, the co-founder and founding General Secretary of ISREV, who stepped down this year after 32 years in the role. Dr Karen Walshe of the University of Exeter was elected Deputy General Secretary. Professor Gloria Durka of Fordham University, New York, was re-elected as President of ISREV. Some of their comments appear below the following photos of the later handover meeting.

	Dr Karen Walshe, Professor John Hull, and Professor Julian Stern, at the handover meeting at The Queen’s Foundation, Birmingham, 17th September 2010.
Professor Julian Stern receiving the ISREV AGM and Executive Committee files from Professor John Hull at the handover meeting.

Professor Stern, the incoming General Secretary, says:
“I am delighted to be taking on the responsibility of General Secretary, supporting the highest level of research in religious education. As Dean of a Faculty of Education and Theology, I am working every day to help education and religion inform each other, as academic subjects and as practices. By helping bring together scholars from across the world, in ISREV, to work on all the varied countries and education systems, and approaches to religion and education, a vibrant global dialogue can take place. Educationists and policy-makers from across the world are interested in the work of ISREV, with members of the government in host countries regularly attending the seminars. In this time of conflict over religion, in almost every country of the world, dialogue is needed more than ever. In this way, professional researchers can do their bit to create a better world.”

Professor Hull, the founding General Secretary, says:
“It has been very satisfying to see the steady growth of religious education research over these three decades, and to know that it corresponds to the growing worldwide sense that as religions become increasingly significant so it becomes more important that governments and communities of faith should sponsor the subject in the school curriculum, and that this must be based on evidence supplied by quality research. I am confident that ISREV under its new leadership will rise to this challenge.”

Professor Durka, who was re-elected as ISREV President, says:
“ISREV provides a unique venue for international, interreligious exchange of religious education research and scholarship. Its rigorous adherence to the highest standards of research and academic discourse contributes to the advancement of religious education in educational institutions and diverse faith communities. I am privileged to serve in promoting the goals of ISREV which were established by its co-founders and assiduously nurtured by its first General Secretary, John Hull. The intent of the new leadership is to continue to widen and deepen the scope and influence of its membership on the theory and practice of religious education.”