In a society experiencing the limitations of science and technology, there is a thirst for “wisdom”, on the part of academics and people in general. This is the background to the future collaboration between Liverpool Hope University and the Focolare Movement, and especially with its embryonic “Sophia University” at Loppiano, near Florence, which will open its doors for the first time next Autumn. Professor Gerald John Pillay, Anglican vice-chancellor of this English University, spoke about this recently in an interview with New City. It was an immediate response to the challenge issued by Chiara Lubich in her message written for the award ceremony of the Honorary Doctorate in Divinity (Theology). The University wanted to recognise the contribution of Chiara Lubich “to the life of the Church, to peace and harmony in society, to the unity of Christians of different denominations, and to dialogue and understanding between religions”. The award was the opportunity for the University and the Focolare Movement to get to know one another better. In her message, read on January 23 in a ceremony in Liverpool, Chiara Lubich said how “deeply struck” she was by the sharing of ideals rooted in unity, and looked forward to a collaboration that promised great hope for the future. Liverpool Hope University, with over 7000 students from many parts of the world, aims to be “an academic community”, inspired by Christian values, “ a sign of hope” open to the other faiths and belief systems, with a commitment to religious and social harmony, in “education, and religious, cultural and economic life”. The collaboration anticipated by Prof. Pillay – who at the beginning of January travelled with a delegation from the University to Rocca di Papa (Rome) to give the award to Chiara in person – is still being worked on. Some early ideas, Prof Pillay told New City, emerged at that meeting. “Already in Chiara’s writings, which I studied because of this award, I found that sense of unity and the centrality of faith in a very stimulating and interior way. When we met in Rome, I was very struck by the great synergy between Focolare’s vision and that of Hope University. We would like to establish ways of collaboration between teachers, and for the students, so that they can easily have access to the programmes of both Hope and of Sophia. This is a really fascinating opportunity.” Representatives of Hope University will be present at the inauguration of the Sophia University Institute, which will be an opportunity to further this project. An economist from the Focolare Movement has already been invited to take part next June in “The Big Hope”, a week-long conference for young people, future leaders, from many different countries, promoted by the University to mark Liverpool “European Capital of Culture 2008”. Liverpool Hope University is an academic institution that offers a wide range of disciplines. It has 7000 students from Great Britain and other countries. It is one of the newer universities, but its tradition in the sphere of higher education goes back over 150 years. It began with the coming together of two existing colleges, one Anglican and one Catholic, and later a second Catholic college. These formed an ecumenical federation in 1980 with the support of the Liverpool Bishops, Archbishop Derek Worlock (Catholic) and Bishop David Sheppard (Anglican). Both of these were actively involved in ecumenical dialogue, and their motto was, “better together”. They saw in this new cultural initiative a “sign of hope”. On that basis Liverpool Hope University was founded in 2005.