29th April 2026.
The International Scientific Symposium “Integral Development of Youth in a Contemporary Educational Context: Challenges, Perspectives and Spiritual Accompaniment” was held on 28 April 2026 in the Grand Hall of the Catholic Faculty of Theology, University of Split. The symposium was organised by the Chair of Religious Pedagogy and Catechetics.
The symposium brought together Croatian and international experts who, through fourteen presentations, adopted an interdisciplinary approach to questions concerning education, ethics, religious formation and the spiritual accompaniment of young people, as well as the influence of contemporary technologies on their formation and development. The international dimension of the symposium was reflected in the participation of speakers from Germany, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia, as well as in the continuation of long-standing cooperation with the University of Cologne, Goethe University Frankfurt, and the University of Mostar. The symposium was organised as part of the ODNOSI project (IP-UNIST-20), funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
On behalf of the Dean, Full Prof. Ivan Bodrožić, PhD, the symposium was opened by the Vice-Dean for Research, Assist. Prof. Domagoj Volarević, PhD. He highlighted the responsibility of older generations for the world they leave to young people and emphasised the importance of experience and reflection in the education of new generations. He extended a special welcome to the international guests and expressed his hope that the exchange of experience and knowledge would contribute to their shared work for the benefit of young people. The participants were then welcomed by Full Prof. Jadranka Garmaz, PhD, Head of the Chair of Religious Pedagogy and Catechetics, who thanked the members of the Organising Committee for their dedicated work in preparing the symposium. She emphasised the need for a holistic approach to young people that incorporates different academic and professional perspectives while creating space for further reflection and dialogue.
The symposium programme was divided into three thematic sessions featuring presentations in theology, pedagogy, and the social sciences. The first session, chaired by Assist. Prof. Darko Rapić, PhD, addressed different foundations of the integral development of young people. Assist. Prof. Domagoj Volarević, PhD, spoke about liturgy as education and an encouragement for education, highlighting its catechetical and pedagogical dimensions. Assoc. Prof. Mirjana Pinezić, PhD, reflected on the Eucharistic and ecclesial formation of young people in the thought of Edith Stein, while Ivana Grabić, PhD, presented the art of Ivan Meštrović as a space in which cultural heritage, personal identity, and the spiritual maturation of young people intersect. The first session concluded with a presentation by Melina Macanovic from the University of Cologne on youth mental health in the context of biblical narratives, linking anxiety, alienation, and hope with a religious-pedagogical approach.
The second session, chaired by Ivana Grabić, PhD, focused strongly on the contemporary digital and cultural environment in which young people are growing up. Jure Ivić, MSc, offered a Kierkegaardian perspective on youth, choice, and the formation of the self in the digital age, while Assist. Prof. Darko Rapić, PhD, addressed the challenges of artificial intelligence and the dehumanisation of work in light of the social teaching of the Church. Assist. Prof. Nenad Palac, PhD, reflected on the evolution of Christological representation in modern cinema, while Florian Mayrhofer, PhD, from Goethe University Frankfurt spoke about digital storytelling as a practice of freedom in religious education. The session concluded with a presentation by Full Prof. Jadranka Garmaz, PhD, and Assist. Prof. Angelina Gašpar, PhD, on the impact of generative artificial intelligence on youth formation.
The third session, chaired by Jure Ivić, MSc, focused on research and pastoral perspectives related to youth formation. Assist. Prof. Andrej Šegula, PhD, from the University of Ljubljana spoke about the accompaniment of young people in the context of the Catechetical Directory, while Assoc. Prof. Marijana Mohorić, PhD, examined the possibilities of theologising with young people in processes of religious education. Maria Magdalena Stüttem, PhD, from the University of Cologne considered inclusive readings of biblical healing narratives, while Full Prof. Ivana Batarelo Kokić, PhD, and Marijana Ćuk, PhD, presented the results of a study on students’ self-assessment of their school workload in Catholic grammar schools. The final presentation was delivered by Assist. Prof. Marko Šutalo, PhD, from the University of Mostar, who presented an empirical study on the dynamics of religious identity and value orientations among young people in Herzegovina.
The symposium concluded with a final discussion that provided further opportunities for exchanging experiences and reflecting on the challenges of educating, forming, and spiritually accompanying young people in contemporary society. The diversity of the theoretical, empirical, and pastoral approaches presented at the symposium confirmed the need for an interdisciplinary approach to the integral development of young people, as well as the importance of continued cooperation among the participating institutions. Extended versions of the presentations will be published in a volume of proceedings scheduled for publication by the end of the year.