Dominican University, Ibadan, in collaboration with the Dominican Institute, Ibadan, is set to host the 2026 Aquinas’ Day Colloquium, a high-level academic gathering focused on deepening contemporary engagement with faith, culture, and society.

The colloquium, themed “The Bible, Aquinas, and African Cultural Identity in Contemporary Society,” will hold on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at the DU Multipurpose Auditorium, Dominican University, Ibadan (Samonda Campus).

The annual event is expected to convene scholars, theologians, philosophers, clergy, researchers, and postgraduate students across the Humanities to critically explore the enduring relevance of St. Thomas Aquinas’ engagement with Sacred Scripture, particularly in addressing questions of African cultural identity, community life, moral formation, and human flourishing in a rapidly changing world.

Speaking ahead of the event, the Vice-Chancellor of Dominican University, Ibadan, Professor Jacinta Opara, who will serve as the Chief Host, described the colloquium as a vital intellectual and cultural encounter.

“The Aquinas’ Day Colloquium provides a unique space for rigorous scholarship that brings faith into conversation with lived African realities,” Prof. Opara said. “Participants should expect rich, interdisciplinary reflections that not only honour Aquinas’ intellectual legacy, but also help us think more deeply about identity, culture, and the common good in contemporary African society.”

She noted that the University remains committed to promoting scholarship that bridges theology, philosophy, and social experience, while nurturing dialogue that is both intellectually sound and socially relevant.

The 2026 edition of the colloquium will feature Rev. Fr. Dr. Augustine Agwulonu, OP, of the Dominican Institute, Ibadan, as Host and Keynote Speaker. Sr. Mary Christine Ugobi-Onyemere will serve as Host and Lead Paper Presenter, while other lead presentations will be delivered by Dr. Chima Augustus Ossy and Ms. Mirabel Kenduanyi, both of Dominican University, Ibadan.

The colloquium will be chaired by Rev. Fr. Prof. Joseph T. Ekong, OP, Provost of the Dominican Institute, Ibadan.

According to the organisers, the 2026 Aquinas’ Day Colloquium seeks to respond thoughtfully to contemporary realities marked by cultural fragmentation, shifting moral values, and contested identities. By revisiting Aquinas’ biblical humanism, the event aims to foster constructive dialogue on faith, African cultural identity, community life, and the pursuit of the common good.

Discussions at the colloquium will engage themes such as Thomistic anthropology and cultural belonging, Scripture as cultural memory, African theological inculturation, faith and reason in identity formation, biblical humanism and human flourishing, Aquinas on community and the common good, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives on Scripture, culture, and society.

The organisers expressed optimism that the colloquium will not only enrich academic discourse but also contribute meaningfully to ongoing conversations on how faith traditions can illuminate Africa’s contemporary social and cultural challenges.