السيرة الذاتية لنائب الرئيس الأعلى

Brother Peter Bray, FSC, EdD

Brother Peter Bray, FSC, EdD is the 8th Vice-Chancellor of Bethlehem University, the first university established in Palestinian and the only Catholic university in the Holy Land.

Brother Peter assumed leadership of Bethlehem University in February 2009 and brings more than 30 years of Catholic education experience as a teacher, consultant, administrator, and expert in leadership and educational systems. Brother Peter complements his practical experience with a doctorate in Leadership Studies from the University of San Diego with a focus on leadership approaches that facilitate change in educational institutions.

During his most recent appointment prior to Bethlehem, Brother Peter was the Director and CEO of the Wellington Catholic Education Center in New Zealand where he led the creation of a master’s level educational partnership with the Australian Catholic University and the utilization of online delivery for the Center’s educational programs.

Brother Peter’s work as a teacher and education consultant has brought him around the world, to Australia, the United States, Turkey, England, Ireland and the Philippines. He has facilitated an international workshop on leadership in religious life and presented at a conference for the Australian William Glasser Institute.

Brother Peter has served as a member of the Wellington Archdiocesan Synod organizing committee and as a member of the Board of Trustees for De La Salle College, Auckland in his native New Zealand. He was also a member of the Australian Council for Educational Administration and was elected to the Provincial Council of the De La Salle Brothers in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Besides his doctoral work, Brother Peter earned a master’s in Educational Administration as well as diplomas in Adult Education and Religious Studies. His publications include materials on “Lasallian spirituality”, “Collaborative leadership in the new millennium” and “The evolution of a quality school: A case study of leadership”.

Brother Peter’s dedication to educational leadership is a commitment to realizing people’s full potential. “In being involved in education,” Brother Peter proclaims, “I see myself called to work in whatever way I can against anything that is preventing us from living a full life.”

The challenges and opportunities in education around the globe are certainly great – and in Bethlehem likewise. A land steeped in spirituality and made holy by the very birth and life of Jesus Christ, it is all too often ravaged by injustice, war, violence and political instability.

For the students, faculty, and alumni of Bethlehem University in the Holy Land entrusted to Brother Peter, there is great hope in knowing that God is faithful and leads us forward. It is a hope expressed by Mr. Fuad Kattan, Chair of the Board of Trustees, during Brother Peter’s inauguration as Vice Chancellor:

 “The notion of leaving your country for a new life in Bethlehem, in unfamiliar surroundings and a land of ongoing dispute, must have been a little scary.  However, the Board of Trustees and I are confident that you will take this jewel of an institution forward to greater heights. We look forward to your leadership to guide Bethlehem University through the challenges and opportunities that will not only shape its future but also preserve and build upon its traditions.”