# Father Dowd on what Notre Dame’s mission asks of us (Ep. 48)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/for-good-stories-from-notre-dame-6611738/father-dowd-on-what-notre-dame-s-mission-asks-of-us-ep-48
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/for-good-stories-from-notre-dame-6611738/father-dowd-on-what-notre-dame-s-mission-asks-of-us-ep-48.md
Podcast: [For Good: Stories from Notre Dame](https://stenobird.com/podcast/for-good-stories-from-notre-dame-6611738)
Published: 2026-08-20T19:30:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/nd-loyal/episodes/Father-Dowd-on-what-Notre-Dames-mission-asks-of-us-Ep--48-e3nlkam
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/e8ffce48/podcast/play/124489494/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-7-20%2F430205711-44100-2-985e833609a0d.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/for-good-stories-from-notre-dame-6611738/episodes/father-dowd-on-what-notre-dame-s-mission-asks-of-us-ep-48
Duration seconds: 1750

## Resource

Notre Dame students inspire University President Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., every day. In their curiosity and desire to lead lives of meaning and purpose, Father Dowd sees the heart of Notre Dame’s mission: forming students who seek truth, encounter new perspectives, and put their gifts in service to others. In this episode of For Good , Father Dowd reflects on Notre Dame’s distinctive role as a Catholic research university and how that mission shapes the University’s engagement with the defining issues of our time, while preparing students to help shape what comes next. Join us as Father Dowd reflects on what Notre Dame’s mission asks of the University today—and what it means to carry that mission forward. 00:00 — New Academic Year at Notre Dame, with Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C. 02:50 — Lessons from East Africa 04:34 — Becoming a More Global University 07:58 — Building Bridges Across Differences 09:01 — Lessons from the Presidency 12:57 — Why Father Dowd Still Teaches at Notre Dame 16:39 — Making Notre Dame More Accessible 20:27 — How Notre Dame Is Facing Higher Education’s Challenges 21:31 — Keeping the Human at the Center of AI 24:04 — College Athletics Landscape: Putting Student-Athletes First 25:04 — Holy Cross and Notre Dame’s Mission

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