Open Lecture with Alejandro Olayo-Méndez as Part of the 2025 Summer School of Theology
November 12, 2025
The Eastern European Institute of Theology invites everyone to an open lecture with Alejandro Olayo-Méndez, Associate Professor at Boston College, whose research explores the role of humanitarian organizations in the context of migration and forced displacement, with a particular focus on migration routes in Mexico. In this lecture, Dr. Olayo-Méndez will discuss the role of faith in humanitarian aid to migrants – one of the central themes of his book, Humanitarianism from Below: Faith, Welfare, and the Role of Casas de Migrantes in Mexico, recently published by NYU Press.
Alejandro Olayo-Méndez
Dr. Olayo-Méndez is Assistant Professor at the Boston College School of Social Work. He holds a DPhil in International Development and an MSc in Migration Studies from the University of Oxford, a Master of Social Work from Loyola University Chicago, and a Master of Divinity from Boston College. His areas of expertise include humanitarian aid, migration, refugee and immigration issues, social justice, human rights, and social inequality. In his book Humanitarianism from Below (NYU Press, 2025), he explores how casas de migrantes, migrant shelters, and religious organizations shape migration processes in Latin America. Beyond his scholarly pursuits, Alejandro is also a Jesuit Catholic priest.
This lecture is part of the 2025 Summer School of Theology, “World with Broken Borders: Theological Perspectives on Displacement and Diasporas.” We warmly invite all Summer School participants and anyone interested to attend the online lecture on November 12 at 6:00 p.m. (Kyiv time). Simultaneous translation into Ukrainian will be provided.
Registration
Attendance is free, but registration is required for all participants. Immediately after registration, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the event. The Zoom link is unique to each participant, so please do not share your registration information with anyone else. Each participant must register separately and receive their own link to join the meeting.
To participate in the seminar, please fill out the registration form.
