Rector Patrick Leroux and colleagues share Saint Paul University’s research on policy, human rights, mental health and transformative education at the 11th biennial GALA Conference.
Saint Paul University was well represented at the 11th biennial conference of the Global Academy of Liberal Arts (GALA), hosted by the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya. Under the theme The Liberal Arts in Action: Catalysts for Change, the 2026 conference explored how liberal arts education can foster critical thinking, creativity and engaged citizens capable of driving meaningful social, cultural and global change.
Saint Paul University contributed to discussions on the role of research, education and interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing some of today’s pressing challenges.
Research that connects disciplines and communities
Rector Louis Patrick Leroux joined colleagues from Bath Spa University in the United Kingdom and Utrecht University in the Netherlands for a hybrid panel, What Happens When Arts Research and Policy-Making Meet? The panel explored how researchers, artists, cultural organizations and policy-makers can learn from working together – and how the relationships they build can help creative research inform policy and practice. Drawing on projects in the UK, the Netherlands and Canada, the discussion highlighted the importance of trust, flexibility and institutional support in making collaboration possible.
Saint Paul University colleagues also presented research connecting liberal arts values with human rights, mental health and social responsibility:
- Rev. Dr. M.J. Jesu Pudumai Doss, Professor in the Faculty of Canon Law, presented Empowering Human Rights through Fraternity: Some Perspectives for Legal Education of the Young. Drawing on the Indian context, human rights challenges and Pope Francis’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti, his presentation explored how education can help young people promote fraternity and human rights in an increasingly divided world.
- Martha Wiggin, psychotherapist and PhD researcher in Interdisciplinary Research on Contemporary Social Issues, presented on Transforming Mental Health Pedagogy in Response to Climate Change. She addressed the need to prepare future psychotherapists for the mental health impacts of the climate crisis, arguing for climate-informed education that strengthens ecological literacy, community resilience and planetary citizenship.
- Dr. Laura Armstrong, Full Professor and clinical psychologist, and Dr. Brent Epperson, Assistant Professor of Conflict Studies, delivered a workshop titled Wellbeing and Conflict Management: Promoting Mental Health and Transformative Practice in the Liberal Arts. Their interactive session connected mental health promotion with practical conflict-management skills, offering approaches to empathy, constructive dialogue, resilience and de-escalation in university and middle-school settings.
Together, these contributions demonstrated how liberal arts education can connect research with real-world practice – from policy-making and legal education to climate-informed mental health care and conflict resolution.
Building international partnerships
The conference also reflected Saint Paul University’s longstanding commitment to international collaboration. Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus, Director of Strategic and International Partnership Development and Associate Director of GALA, co-organized the programme with colleagues from Bath Spa University and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa. She has been part of GALA’s management team since 2015.
Thirteen of GALA’s 18 university partners presented or attended the conference, alongside representatives of other universities participating in person and online. The gathering offered an opportunity to exchange ideas, strengthen partnerships and explore new possibilities for collaborative teaching and research.
The programme concluded with a visit to Nairobi National Park, bringing participants together beyond the conference sessions to experience one of Kenya’s remarkable natural landscapes.
About GALA
The Global Academy of Liberal Arts is an international network of university partners committed to collaboration in liberal arts education, research and knowledge exchange. Its members work across institutions and countries to share ideas, develop partnerships and explore how liberal arts can contribute to positive change. Learn more here.
Interested in international collaborators for your teaching or research? Contact Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus at rebecca.mcguire-snieckus@ustpaul.ca.
