UNIVERSITÉ DE LUBUMBASHI Rectorat Service de Coopération.

UNIVERSITÉ DE LUBUMBASHIRectorat

Service de Coopération

AUDIS-EDULINK PROJET

POSTER DE

L’UNIVERSITE DE LUBUMBASHI

Leuven, 6 juin 2008

Presentation of the University of Lubumbashi

• The University of Lubumbashi is located in Lubumbashi in the South-east of D.R. Congo, 2000 km away from Kinshasa and 30 km away from the Zambian border

• Brief History -1956-1960: Official university of Belgian Congo and

Ruanda-Urundi -1960-1963: University of Katanga State in Elisabethville -1963-1971: Official university of Congo -1971-1981: National university of Zaire, Campus of

Lubumbashi -1981- to this day: University of Lubumbashi

• Faculties and Colleges Number of students • • Agronomics: 867 • • Law: 4003 • • Art and Human Sciences: 1458 • • Medicine: 6150 • • Veterinary medicine: 376 • • Polytechnics: 1183 • • Psychology and Sciences of Education: 706 • • Sciences: 534 • • Economics and Management: 2725 • • Pharmaceutical sciences: 732 • • Administrative, political and social sciences: 3113 • • College of criminology: 42 • • College of public health: 347 • • College of industrial engineers: 1242 • • Total 23478

• Teaching Board

-Professors : 194

-Scientific Staff members : 513

• Administrative staff members

-Officers : 230

-Subordinates : 703

University co-operation: (Signed conventions)

• At the international level • - Belgium: CUD-CIUF, VLIR-UOS, MRAC • - AUF (University Agency of the Francophonie)• - SARUA• - AUA • - France: University of METZ, of Bordeaux, • Clermont Ferrand, Jules Vernes, • - Republic of South Africa: University of Kwazulu Natal• - Angola: University Augustino Neto of Luanda • - Zambia: University of Zambia • - USA: Dominican University • At the national level • - University of Kinshasa • - Official University of Bukavu • Catholic university of Bukavu • University of the Graben in Butembo

UNIVERSITY CO-OPERATION First case study

TRIPARTITE COOPERATION

ULG-UNILU-UKZN

• It is an agreement signed between three universities: University of Liege (ULg), the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) and the University of Lubumbashi (UNILU).

• This protocol was signed on March 16, 2006, after several meetings of consultations for making it ready.

It is the case of the meeting that took place from December 8 to December 10, 2005 in Lubumbashi.

• Follow-up and assessment Meetings were held in Durban in March 2006, in Liege in July 2006 and Liege in February 2008.

Aim in view

• Reinforcing the scientific and academic co-operation between the three universities in facilitating direct contacts between the active authorities, the persons in charge of faculties and departments and research centres

Target sectors of co-operation

• Exchange (mobility) of professors, researchers and technicians for short stays

• Exchange (mobility) of students; • Setting up joint scientific research activities; • Regular Co-organization of conferences,

seminars, symposium… ; • Raising up funds in each of the three universities

to support students scientific exchange; • Exchange of information, materials (equipment)

for teaching and publications;

First academic and scientific activities for collaboration

• Organization of teachings and studies on management and entrepreneurship; • Research projects on mining, metallurgy and environment; • Research projects on questions related to NGO’s and civil society and

to the change of culture and evolution of urban societies; • Projects on food and agro-pastoral research; • English teaching and learning (UNILU) and French teaching and learning (UKZN); • Reinforcing capacities in making development projects (UNILU) • Joint research projects on HIV/AIDS, blood Transfusion and emerging infections;

Achievements • Regular missions of teaching to the Faculty of Economic sciences (Unilu) in connection with the Management and entrepreneurship project (by ULG and UKZN); • Annual meeting (at Unilu) of an International symposium on HIV/AIDS; • Meeting of restitution of a research on mining environment in Katanga (at Unilu); • A visit of the Dean of Faculty of Medicine of Unilu to UKZN; • Some visits (for a work) of the Rector of Unilu to UKZN and ULg; • Some follow-up and evaluation meetings.

Shortcomings and weaknesses • ULg and UKZN are by far financially and materially better off than

Unilu, so the risk to have them impose their point of views is permanent;

• The problem of language arises with acuity and prevents an easy exchange of students;

• Ulg is less committed than UKZN to participating in certain projects: no activity is planned with regard to research projects on questions related to NGO’s and the civil society, nor on the change of culture, evolution of the urban societies and those relating to food and agro-pastoral research;

• No joint activity on funds raising, and no funds available so far • No program is set up on the organization of post-graduate studies,

and about the sending of the Congolese students who should have a scholarship (their number is not yet specified) for UKZN, despite the existence of a proposal since the beginning of the Project

Project of Reinforcement of the programme

• Reinforcing the English training at Unilu in order to allow its doctorands to do their 3rd cycle at UKZN;

• Introducing the LEAP Programme in order to allow its academicians to have short periods of stay for research at UKZN or to identify there the needs for reinforcement of capacities of formation and training;

• Developing other modes of teaching such as E-learning and Teaching; • Extending the program to other partners and sponsors;

• Reinforcing the coordination of the program by financing the concerned service.

UNIVERSITY CO-OPERATION 2nd case study

MIDA (Migrations for Development in Africa)

(FOCUS ON MOBILITY AND ITS REPERCUSSION)

I. PREAMBLE

• The International Organization for Migrations (in initials ``I.O.M.'') initiated a programme of mobilization of human resources of the African Diaspora established in Europe. That was in view of strengthening the socio-economic development of Africa by Africans themselves. This program, called MIDA (Migrations for Development in Africa), has engendered strong ties between I.O.M. and a certain number of institutions in several african countries.

• It is within this framework ─ I mean ‘‘MIDA’’ ─ that the university of Lubumbashi has made a particularly enriching experience as regards mobility. Indeed, what MIDA (Migrations for Development in Africa) and UNILU (University of Lubumbashi) have experienced together is particular insofar as it relates to the mobilization of human resources of the Congolese Diaspora based in Europe in teaching, mainly.

• It is during the academic year 2002-2003 that the MIDA programme was first implemented at UNILU. An overall objective was set and, therefore, a number of results were naturally expected.

Objective

• Supporting the university formation and reinforcing institutional capacities in order to resolve the shortage in terms of qualified teaching staff members and to accelerate the renewal of the academic and scientific personnel.

Expected results• Appointing (in short and mid-terms) qualified lecturers for

Courses (taught by scientific staff members) considered vacant so far • Researchers in DEA (Master) and Doctorate to be led to

graduation (in mid and long terms) thanks to a suitable coaching, training and by updating scientific knowledge

• Constituting a young local potential for the staff renewal • Acquiring specific recent documentation, equipment and

materials (brought by MIDA missionaries) • Progressive return (to homeland) of the scientists of the

Diaspora who express such a wish• Reinforcement of the UNILU leadership in the area (consolidating

the UNILU label and creating some more university extensions)

II. REPORT OF MISSIONS

• Missions of the MIDA programme in favour of UNILU were mainly teaching activities (i.e. theoretical and/or practical classes). These missions could take 1 to 6 months, in one or two sequences, depending on the case. The ‘‘candidates for teaching’’ were always considered as MIDA missionaries, whatever their expertise, academic profile or residential status in Europe.

• Selection The selection of the candidates is a question of mutual

agreement between I.O.M./MIDA and UNILU. The new technology for information and communication like computers is largely used insofar as all contacts between the ‘‘candidates for teaching’’ and the two institutions concerned are made through Internet. For a maximum of transparency the I.O.M. (Office of Brussels) announces the offer of jobs on its Internet site after UNILU has presented its needs in teaching (for a post considered vacant). Applications collected by I.O.M. are transmitted to UNILU, who make the final choice on the candidate they wish to receive among so many others, for a given post.

• Working and Living conditions of MIDA Missionaries• As MIDA missionaries are taken like workers of European countries,

they have the advantage (compared to their colleagues from D.R. Congo) to be paid (to the rate of Europe) by MIDA. In addition, MIDA takes in charge travelling expenses. However, they are confronted to more painful working conditions of African countries, in a context where the environment is sometimes unhealthy, infrastructure in disuse and equipment, at times, non-existent.

• Life is certainly harder with a number of problems. These problems relate to a possible delay in matter of restoration, break-downs in electric power supply, any eventual disturbance in transportation following the contingent fuel shortage or any other socio-economic trouble.

• However, our heroes who still have the African blood running in their veins are quite able to adapt to such living conditions. They can mitigate many unforeseen.

• Evaluation/Appreciation of the work carried out by MIDA Missionaries

Each Dean of faculty is supposed to submit a report on the teaching (activity) of the missionary having worked within his faculty. The report will particularly contain the number of courses taught, the total amount of hours executed and all the promotions concerned. Moreover, a more or less short word on the scientific and moral values of the candidate will be required. And finally, a point on suggestions can be developed. Previously, the I.O.M. used to provide UNILU with a model form to be filled out about the mission and the candidate.

III. BALANCE AND NEW PERSPECTIVES

• The University of Lubumbashi has gone through the three phases organized by MIDA programme since its implementation, namely phase I (2002-2004), phase II (2004-2006) and phase III (2006-2008). Phase II was marked by a greater success at UNILU than the two others. Its success is due to the higher number of missions organized during this phase.

• Achievements Through Mida Programme

• Teens of courses considered vacant (even more than a hundred during phase II) have been taught by qualified lecturers

• About fifty researchers in DEA (Master) have graduated. And, in spite of the rate of loss of substance, almost the same number of researchers is found committed in doctoral research thanks to a suitable coaching, training and by updating scientific knowledge

• Obviously, MIDA contributes to the constituting (for UNILU) a young local potential for the renewal of the staff

• UNILU has benefited, little if any, from this cooperation with documentation, equipment and recent materials (brought by MIDA missionaries)

• The progressive return of academicians of the Diaspora of D.R.C. has begun with half a dozen of professors in spite of the long and slow administrative process

• The reinforcement of the leadership of UNILU in the area and the strengthening of its label has somewhat started, in particular with the sending of some MIDA missionaries

to the UNILU extensions in Likasi and Kolwezi • Through MIDA program, I.O.M. (its office of Brussels) could

constitute a data base of Congolese scientists living in Belgium

• Shortcomings Of Mida Programme • MIDA Program is annually reoriented and restructured by

I.O.M. without, or almost not, taking into account the many suggestions from the beneficiary Congolese institutions;

• In six years of co-operation and in spite of so much of promises, I.O.M. has had no real will to equip just a small office for its local focus (correspondent or contact person ) at the university of Lubumbashi, recognized officially by I.O.M. for managing all MIDA files;

• Consequently, the administration of MIDA files was, sometimes long, slow and tiresome.