The course, comprised of a three-week distance learning component and a three-week intensive residential period of study, research, and community life, offered lectures, workshops, and study visits under the theme “People and Faith on the Move – Migration in Christianity, Islam, and Judaism.” “You came here as Christians and Muslims, rooted in your own spiritual journeys—and you leave now not as uniform voices, but as harmonized companions in dialogue,” said Rev. Dr Kuzipa Nalwamba, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme director for Unity, Mission, and Ecumenical Formation, at the closing ceremony in Bossey. “You have listened deeply, spoken courageously, asked hard questions, shared prayers, broken bread, and borne witness to the possibilities of peace that can emerge when we take the risk to encounter one another truthfully.” Sheikh Hafid Ouardiri, from Fondation pour L'Entre-Connaissance, said: "You have come together to listen and to learn from one another. A part of the big Interreligious family and how to seek peace together. I ask you to share your experience with others, and open your heart and mind." Key objectives of the program include exploring the dynamics of interreligious dialogue through interdisciplinary approaches and equipping participants to address global migration issues with constructive solutions rooted in mutual respect and understanding. “Against the backdrop of complex geopolitical challenges, the 2024–25 Certificate of Advanced Studies in Interreligious Studies stood as a beacon of unity and resilience—bringing together young leaders from the Abrahamic faiths in a dynamic interfaith community,” said Prof. Fr Dr Lawrence Iwuamadi. “The Ecumenical Institute at Bossey hopes that the students emerge not only as scholars, but as multipliers of hope and light in a world yearning for peace.” Rev. Marte Solbakken Leberg, a graduate who is a Christian theologian and an ordained pastor in the Church of Norway (Lutheran Church), currently serves as a pastor for the Norwegian Seamen’s Church. Leberg is based in Berlin, and also leads the work of the Norwegian Church Abroad in Germany. “In the past, I have worked extensively with interreligious dialogue through the Church Dialogue Centre and in my role as a pastor,” said Leberg. “This has been a fantastic course with a high academic level.” Leberg reflected on experiencing significant cultural differences within a very diverse group of friendly people. “I feel enriched by having listened to so many stories and experiences from wonderful people, and I feel deeply connected to them all,” said Leberg. “These were safe and respectful conversations — truly good dialogues that I will carry with me.” Prof. Dr Ani Ghazaryan Drissi, professor of Ecumenical Theology, and World Council of Churches programme executive for Ecumenical Theological Education, said: “At the Ecumenical Institute at Bossey, students from different faiths and regions came together to reflect on migration, faith, and belonging, building bridges of understanding and knowing each other. In exploring migration through the lenses of faith and hospitality, these students embody the hope that dialogue, shared learning, and friendship can transform our fractured world.” At inter-religious summer course, students plant seeds of a different future (WCC news release, 2 July 2025) Learn more about the Ecumenical Institute Bossey | 
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