Assoc. Prof. Marijana Kompes Delivered an Invited Lecture at the University of Vienna

Organized by the Institute for Social Ethics and the Society for Social Ethics in Central Europe of the Faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Vienna, an international symposium titled “Social Peace in the Countries of Eastern and Central Europe” was held from 9 to 10 October 2025, followed by the meeting of the Executive Board and the General Assembly of the Society for Social Ethics in Central Europe on 11 October 2025.

Assoc. Prof. Marijana Kompes, PhD, delivered an invited lecture at the symposium on the topic “Social Peace and Social Order in Croatia.” She also participated in the meeting of the Executive Board and the General Assembly of the Society for Social Ethics in Central Europe as a member of the Executive Board.

The symposium brought together professors of social and theological ethics from Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, and Croatia, who addressed the topic from the perspective of their respective countries. In her lecture, Assoc. Prof. Kompes approached the subject from both theological and political science perspectives, providing a conceptual link between social peace and social order. She emphasized that the quality of social order fundamentally determines the quality of social peace, while the Catholic social teaching offers valuable insights into their interconnection in the pursuit of the common good. Her presentation systematically outlined the main challenges facing Croatian society in achieving social peace based on social order.

The symposium concluded with a meeting of the Executive Board and a hybrid General Assembly of the Society for Social Ethics in Central Europe, which was founded in 1989 at the Institute for Social Ethics, University of Vienna. The Society aims to promote exchange among ten Central and Eastern European countries on social and ethical challenges encountered after the fall of communism. Since its foundation, it has fostered academic collaboration among university professors, involved practitioners, and encouraged interdisciplinary work. The future direction and development of the Society were the main topics discussed during the final sessions in Vienna.