Presently, the 40 students of the regional masters' 3rd cohort are ending their course in semester 3 for specialisation (July to December 2022). Four disciplines are concerned, including 3 professional masters degrees and a research master in 4 different professions: Management of Protected Areas and Biosphere Reserves (GAP/GRB), Forest Management Techniques (TAF) and Integrated Management of Tropical Forests and Lands (AGIFT).
Remember that this specialization is made possible by the regional mobility provided in this programme. Indeed, the 17 GAP/GRB Masters were trained at the Ecole de Faune de Garoua (EFG, Cameroon); the 11 TAF Masters completed part of their practical training in a forestry company in the North of the Republic of Congo, within the CIB OLAM Agri company. The 12 AGIFT research Masters continued their studies in DRC, either in the Luki Biosphere Reserve or in the Mangrove Marine Park (RAMSAR site).
January to June 2023 is the final stretch of the programme. Indeed, all these 40 learners have been admitted to an academic internship to carry out their final year research in several countries. Eight GAP masters students have been admitted to an internship at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC, South Africa), within the partnership that exists between this prestigious South-African institution and ERAIFT.
Public defenses of these research results are to be held in June 2023, online or in class, with an international and interdisciplinary jury. The 3rd cohort, consisting of 40 students from 8 countries, will complete its cursus at the end of June 2023.
The third cohort's departure for the internship frees up space for the start of the fifth cohort, which begins its course in February 2023. Thus the 3rd, 4th and 5th cohorts will run in parallel until June 2023, giving 129 students registered in the Master's programme at ERAIFT (in addition to the 26 doctoral students registered on the role).
ERAIFT expresses its sincere thanks to the European Union for funding this training programme and to AGRINATURA for supporting ERAIFT in the implementation of the programme.
The 18th session of the enlarged Academic and Research Council was held on Tuesday 20/12/2022 under the supervision of the Director of ERAIFT and President of the Academic and Research Council, Mr. Baudouin MICHEL. Participants in this session were Academic and Research Council statutory members as well as its regional and international partners. Apart from other business, 3 main points were on the agenda: 1) the selection of candidates for the 5th promotion of ERAIFT regional masters, 2) recommendations from the 1st ERAIFT scientific retreat, 3) the academic report for the December 2021 - December 2022 period.
Regarding the selection process for the 5th promotion of the ERAIFT Regional Masters Courses, the following decision was taken: 40 scholarship holders were selected from the 170 applications received following the international call for applications. They originate from 11 different countries, including 12 women, i.e. approximately 30%. The regional character of the institution as well as the female representation are well highlighted. This cohort will start training in the first trimester of 2023.
Concerning the ERAIFT scientific seminar in Zongo, from 14 to 17 October 2002, which was a great success, most of the recommendations formulated were approved. The institution is expected to explore ways and means to implement them. These are essentially: the extension of ERAIFT to the English-speaking community, bilingualism, the professionalization of training, the strengthening of internships, and the respect of the academic calendar.
Started at 8.30 a.m., the meeting ended at 12 a.m., in a friendly and satisfying atmosphere. ERAIFT is grateful to the European Union for the funding of this Action and for the renewed confidence; it also thanks AGRINATURA for its collaboration.
The sixth and last meeting of the Scientific Coordination, in which 7 member institutions took part, was held online via the Zoom application, on Monday September 19, 2022 from 9 a.m. to 10:50 a.m. The objective of this last meeting was to allow member institutions to report on the results of activities implemented in the Yangambi region and, on the other hand, to share lessons learned and recommendations in order to ensure the sustainability of the achievements of the implementation of the YPS project. This specifically involved sharing information on the activities implemented by each member institution; to discuss future scientific activities in the Yangambi landscape; and finally to share the main results obtained and the lessons learned on development research by each component of the project. After the restitution stage of the activities implemented during the period considered, recommendations were made for the sustainability of the achievements. The participants were informed of the start of a new project entitled "Making the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve a climate-biodiversity center of excellence", funded by Belgium, and of which UNESCO is the executing body. This project is therefore a kind of relay to the YPS project since it will capitalize on its achievements. It will also make it possible to expand the number of member institutions of the Scientific Coordination with the addition of UNESCO and the University of Kisangani via the BSC. In this new project, there is a budget line devoted to the reform of the MAB which constitutes an opportunity to improve the management and especially the security of the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve. ERAIFT warmly thanks all the member institutions of the scientific coordination of the project for their much appreciated participation in the implementation of the activities. Finally, ERAIFT sincerely thanks the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union for their financial support.
On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, the Director of ERAIFT attended at the 20th Board meeting of the Odzala-Kokua-Lossi Foundation. The Odzala-Kokua-Lossi in Mboko (Republic of Congo). Foundation manages on behalf of the Republic of Congo Government, the Odzala-Kokua National Park through a Public Private Partnership (PPP) with the NGO African Parks Network
From December 5 to 9, 2022, Baudouin Michel, Director of ERAIFT, visited Liberia at the request of the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Government of Liberia. Baudouin Michel is coordinating a feasibility study for a major investment in the rice sector in Liberia that may be funded by the EIB and the “Agence Française de Développement” (AFD). This study was confided to AGRER in Brussels.
Campus UNIKIN - BP 15373 - Kinshasa - Commune de Lemba - RD Congo