Pontificia Università Urbaniana (PUU) was established in 1627 and aims to provide higher education programs to pastoral care workers actively serving in various ministries within the church and for those who promote evangelization in areas of the world where Christianity is a minority. The PUU belongs to the Educational System of the Holy See (Vatican City State) and is the academic expression of the Congregation for the People’s Evangelization. Areas of study include philosophy, theology, canon law, and missiology. Additionally, the PUU has established an Institute of Higher Studies on Religion (ISCSM) and a Center for Chinese Studies and Research. The PUU’s academic focus is on non-Christian cultural and religious contexts, so that "the presence of Christian thought be public, constant and universal through the effort of promoting higher education" and to foster the knowledge of "non-Christian history, cultures and religions as well as the relation between the doctrine of the Church and their traditional wisdom". Thus, PUU aims to promote the Church and Christianity in partially or completely non-Christian contexts. The PUU is an international study and research center for students and professors from over 120 different countries, representing a wide variety of cultures, religions and social backgrounds. In this multicultural environment, students not only prepare for the pastoral care commitments that await them after their studies but also have the opportunity to develop an openness to interreligious and intercultural dialogue.
