15 March 2023
Dear members of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University community,
Buenas dias a todos!
With a joyful and grateful heart, I write to you today as the new president of our beloved University.
I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for the warm welcome and support you have shown me since my appointment was announced last year. I am deeply honored by your trust, and I am eager to work with all of you to continue AdZU’s tradition as an outstanding Filipino, Catholic, and Jesuit university in this part of the country.
To our dear students, I want to underscore how much you are valued and how important you are to the university community. We are here because of you. As we move forward, we will continue to dedicate ourselves to providing you with an excellent education that will prepare you to respond creatively and competently to the challenges of a VUCA world. Our mission is to accompany and support you in your growth as competent professionals and people of character and conscience who care deeply about humanity and our common home.
I want to thank our exceptional administration, faculty, and staff for your vital contributions to our students’ holistic formation. Your commitment to quality and the quest for knowledge has been critical to AdZU’s success in forming our students into competent, compassionate leaders.
As I begin my term, I want you to know that I am committed to guiding AdZU with ideals and principles anchored in our Ignatian spirituality and heritage. Our aim will always be to provide education as a common good, an instrument for social transformation, and a source of fraternity, peace, and solidarity.
I am grateful for the advice and assistance of my predecessor, Fr Karel S San Juan, SJ, who has offered a remarkable example of leadership and service to the University community. We are grateful for his leadership and vision for AdZU, and I am excited to build on his efforts and cultivate further an environment of creativity and collaboration.
To our Board of Trustees and the leadership teams from the various units, thank you for your continued support. Your wisdom and animo will be invaluable as we collaborate and work toward our shared vision. Together, we will continue to prioritize the well-being and success of our community, fostering a learning and work environment that inspire creativity, innovation and excellence.
Once again, thank you for your warm welcome, and I am excited to begin this journey with all of you, Pro Deo et Patria.
Dios te bendiga!
(sgd) FR ERNALD M ANDAL, SJ
University President
