On Friday 2 June, a working meeting was held in Tervuren between the Deans and Professors of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (University of Liège, Belgium) and the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering of the University of Ghent (Belgium), within the framework of the Alliance for Yangambi, in the presence of the Director General of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA). The two universities plan to combine their experience and skills to support research and university teaching in the Kisangani area.

ERAIFT and IFA-Yangambi would like to thank the Royal Museum for Central Africa for hosting this important meeting, as well as the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at Ghent University and Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech for their availability and cooperation.

Communication

The Director of ERAIFT and President of the Academic and Research Council (CAR), Professor Baudouin MICHEL, informs the academic community and the general public that the Regional Post-Graduate School on Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Lands (ERAIFT), UNESCO Category 2 Center, of the private defense of the doctoral thesis in Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Lands, by Mr. Daniel MFOSSA MBOUOMBOUO, of Cameroonian nationality.

Thesis title: Gorillas (Gorilla gorilla ssp.) of the Ebo Forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon: Ecology, Anthropic Pressures and Community Conservation Strategy.

Jury members

I. Full members

1)    Pr Baudouin MICHEL, Professor at ERAIFT (DRC): Chairman

2)    Prof. Jean-Pierre MATE MWERU, Professor at UNIKIN (DRC): Rapportor

3)    Pr Isaac Roger TCHOUAMO, Professor at the University of Dschang (Cameroon): South Promoter

4)    Dr Fany BROTCORNE, University of Liège (ULiège, Belgium): North promoter

5)    Pr Cédric VERMEULEN, Professor at ULiège (Belgium): Member

II. Substitute members

1)    Dr Roseline C. BEUDELS-JAMAR (ULiège, Belgium)

2)    Dr Eva GAZAGNE (ULiège, Belgium)

Date : Thursday 08 June 2023

Time: 10:30 am (Kinshasa time)

Site and modalities: in person at ERAIFT and by videoconference.

Kinshasa, May 29, 2023

The Director of ERAIFT

Prof. Baudouin MICHEL

This Wednesday 24/5/2023, the director of ERAIFT Prof Baudouin Michel accompanied by the fundraising director, participated in a working session at the Swedish Embassy. On this occasion, they met 3 Swedish experts, Lotte Samuelson (SIWI), Hana Hastek (Sokgsstyrelsen) and Peter Blomback (LoCoForest), who came specially from Stockholm to Kinshasa to present the LoCoForest (Locally Controlled Forest Restoration) project. After a round table, Director B. Michel made a brief presentation of ERAIFT which was followed by a detailed presentation of the LoCoForest project. This is an online training program of the Swedish International Development Agency on large-scale restoration of degraded natural forests. At the conclusion of this fruitful meeting, several areas of synergistic cooperation between the institutions present were identified and will be concretized as soon as possible.

ERAIFT would like to thank the Swedish Embassy for organizing this highly relevant meeting

On Wednesday 24 May 2023, within the framework of the "Environment" Task Force coordinated by the Chief of the Civil Household of the DRC President, ERAIFT's Director held a working session with His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture and the Chief of the Civil Household of the DRC President, focusing on the Task Force's recommendations for the rapid and sustainable development of food-producing agriculture in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The exchanges were fruitful and experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Task Force will continue to work together on this issue.

ERAIFT thanks His Excellency the Minister of Agriculture for the warm welcome.