As part of the certified vocational training program in Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), established by the Regional Postgraduate School of Integrated Management and Development of Tropical Forests and Territories (ERAIFT) in partnership with the JMN-CJPN-GOPA consortium, mandated by the GIZ regional support project for COMIFAC, a workshop to select applicants and trainers was held from June 16 to 20, 2025, in the meeting room of the Sustainable Forest Management in the Congo Basin Program in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The objectives of this workshop were to review the applicants' files based on the academic, professional, and motivational criteria defined in the call for applications; to select qualified trainers for the various modules of the certification training program; to draw up lists of successful applicants for the two categories of beneficiaries; to collectively review RIFFEAC's RPF strategy to improve its clarity, feasibility, and alignment with the selected profiles; and to formulate strategic and operational recommendations for the participatory implementation of the first cohort of the 2025 program.

This professional program aims to strengthen the technical, practical, and strategic capacities of professionals in the sector by offering them in-depth, interdisciplinary, and action-oriented training that addresses the specific challenges of restoring degraded ecosystems in Central Africa.

The following individuals participated in this workshop: Mr. Jean Jadot ONDOBO, Technical Advisor in charge of vocational training at GIZ Cameroon; Mr. Félix KOUBOUANA, Regional Coordinator of RIFFEAC; Mr. Hervé MISHIDI, IT and Logistics Manager at ERAIFT; Mr. Joël MOBUNDA, ERAIFT focal point for the RPF program; Mr. Axel Yvan NJEUKWE, Technical Assistant for Natural Resources at the JMN-CJPN-COPA consortium; and Mr. Marc Andy MESSELE from the JMN-CJPN-COPA consortium.

At the end of this participatory workshop, 25 learners were selected from a total of 486 applications received from all African countries, mainly COMIFAC member states. A list of trainers selected for the various modules was also drawn up.

ERAIFT would like to express its sincere thanks to GIZ Cameroon, COMIFAC, RIFFEAC, and the JMN-CJPN-GOPA consortium for their involvement in implementing the RPF certification training program. It also expresses its deep gratitude to the European Union, through the program.

As part of the educational capacity building at IFA-Yangambi, a training mission was held from June 16 to 19, 2025, at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (Belgium). It brought together a delegation composed of four professors and the Rector of IFA-Yangambi. The objective was to strengthen teaching in the LMD system in the DRC by implementing active teaching practices. Activities on June 17 and 18 included institutional exchanges, doctoral research presentations, the use of the comodale room for hybrid teaching, and teaching tools such as portfolios and interactive models. Several workshops were led by experts on student skills, educational management, and teaching innovation. Guided tours allowed participants to discover the infrastructure at Gembloux, including livestock farms, crops, and technical facilities. The mission was made possible thanks to financial support from AFD via the GIFT project, with the support of Enabel. On this occasion, the Director of ERAIFT had the opportunity to contact the academic authorities of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech and review the various current and future cooperation projects, particularly within the framework of the NATURAFRICA, RESSAC, and DESIRA projects.

ERAIFT thanks the Faculty of Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech at the University of Liège for its warm welcome. It also thanks Enabel and the European Union for their support.

As part of the second phase of the project to make the Yangambi Biosphere Reserve a regional center of excellence for biodiversity and climate, UNESCO organized a capacity-building workshop for local stakeholders from June 2 to 4, 2025. This initiative is part of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program and aims to support efforts for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The primary objective of the workshop was to enhance local skills in assessing and managing biosphere reserves, integrating community-based ecosystem approaches (CBEA-S) into local policies, and improving the administrative and financial management of conservation projects.

ERAIFT actively participated in this meeting, which brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including Yangambi Reserve managers, CEPA members, representatives from civil society, researchers, public institutions, and technical and financial partners. Participants benefited from theoretical and practical sessions focused on in-situ and ex-situ conservation, participatory reserve assessment, and CEPA governance. The workshop also promoted better synergy among the various stakeholders involved in managing the Yangambi landscape, to strengthen coordination in the interests of sustainable development and resilience to climate change.

ERAIFT warmly welcomes this initiative and extends its sincere thanks to the European Union and UNESCO for their technical and financial support. It also thanks all the partners involved in the preservation and enhancement of the Yangambi Reserve.

One of the highlights of the academic year lived up to all expectations. We are talking about Impact Job Days. Impact Job Days is a recruitment fair dedicated to sustainable jobs and projects. Since 2022, it has enabled students to meet employers and seize professional opportunities. Another advantage of this eagerly awaited event is that students participate in activities organized by HR experts, thereby developing their employability.

On the agenda for June 5 (among other activities) were:

- A presentation on how to navigate changes in the company.

- A workshop on formulating projects that increase the chances of funding.

- An exhibition, hosted by agricultural leader GBE Agri, offers a wealth of job opportunities and information.

At the end of this generous and dynamic day, the students had strengthened their skills (soft skills) and were better positioned to secure internships and vacant positions at large companies. Their enthusiasm was at its peak for the second day of Job Days, scheduled for the following day at a renowned incubator in downtown Kinshasa.

ERAIFT thanks RADDI for its contribution to the organization of this event and the facilitators from OLIVE PEOPLE for their much-appreciated performance.

As part of World Environment Day celebrations, ERAIFT organized a conference-debate on June 4, 2025, on the theme: “Taking action for biodiversity, agricultural sectors, and against plastic pollution.” Initiated under the leadership of students from the 6th cohort of ERAIFT's master’s program, this event was held at the AUF premises at the University of Kinshasa. Two presentations enriched it: the first, given by Professor Baudouin Michel, Director of ERAIFT, focused on the management of protected areas. After briefly presenting ERAIFT as a regional school with international governance and enjoying Category 2 centre status under UNESCO auspices, the speaker discussed current models of protected area management based on public-private partnerships (PPPs). These protected areas serve as sanctuaries for biodiversity and contribute to the fight against global warming. The second presentation, given by Patrick Minyangu, an expert at the FAO and a doctoral student at ERAIFT, highlighted the impact of climate shocks on household food security in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, showing that these stresses reduce food consumption, exacerbate hunger, and lead households to adopt adaptation strategies that are sometimes harmful.

ERAIFT warmly thanks AUF for its hospitality, as well as the UNESCO, the European Union and AGRINATURA for their support. It congratulates the students on this initiative and encourages them to continue such actions, which are helpful both for their training and for the school’s reputation.

ERAIFT in collaboration with the Instituto Superior de Agronomia of the University of Lisbon (ISA/ULisboa), organized from 03 to 05 June 2025, the second session of the 2025 scientific week. This activity which took place in videoconference, under the co-supervision of the Director of AGRINATURA, Dr Sylvain PERRET and the Director of ERAIFT, Professor Baudouin MICHEL, and coordinated by Professor Ana Isabel FARIA RIBEIRO of ISA/ULISBOA; is part of the project “Capacity building for biodiversity practitioners, scientists and policy makers for sustainable management of protected areas and forest ecosystems in Africa - Action DCI-ENV 2020/416-397” implemented by ERAIFT, AGRINATURA-EEIG/GEIE (European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development)» and the University of Liège.  This project, led by the Director of ERAIFT, Professor Baudouin MICHEL, is part of the programme entitled “Sustainable management of tropical ecosystems based on knowledge” funded by the European Union’s Development Cooperation Instrument (DCI) no. 41928. This initiative further consolidates the “science-policy” dialogue, as science must be at the service of development.

Dedicated to the promotion of systemic scientific synergy, this session offered doctoral students a valuable opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary training provided by external expert partners, on topics and tools designed to strengthen their research capacities and which could be useful for their future careers. One of the highlights was the empowerment of PhD students capacities in policy brief designing and writing, which is a document aiming to influence political decision-making, based on recommendations made from research results.

ERAIFT would like to thank the University of Lisbon through ISA for its scientific support in the successful organization of this session. ERAIFT also congratulates and thanks all the external experts for their availability and training of future African executives, and expresses its gratitude to the European Union and AGRINATURA for their financial support.

As part of the implementation of the project "Evaluation of the value of ecosystem services of the Luki Biosphere Reserve (EVASE_RBL)", ERAIFT participated in the training workshop on project development and fundraising with funders and accounting training. This workshop was organized from May 26 to 31, 2025 under the program of «Applied research in ecology and social sciences of forest ecosystems in central Africa (RESSAC)» by CIFOR-ICRAF, and funded by the European Union (EU).

The main objective of this workshop was to contribute to the development of comprehensive project formulation and financial reporting during project implementation. Specifically, it was intended to: (1) develop methodological and technical support for project formulation and management; (2) develop mechanisms for accessing existing and potential funding windows; (3) to make proposals for concrete actions for the mobilization of additional funds for the financing of research projects in Central Africa; (4) to train the post-doc initiators of expenses and the accountants responsible for preparing the financial reports on the correct understanding of the LOA (Letter of agreement or contract), the basic accounting documents (payable), the formulation of the financial report, the process of transferring funds.

This workshop was possible thanks to the support of the RESSAC program, implemented by the CIFOR-ICRAF consortium and financed by the European Union, to which ERAIFT expresses its deep gratitude.

From 10 to 21 May 2025, a second data collection mission at the Luki Biosphere Reserve (RB-Luki) was organized by the ERAIFT team in charge of implementing the activities of the project entitled Assessment of the value of the ecosystem services of the Luki Biosphere Reserve (EVASE_RBL). This project, led by the ERAIFT-INERA-University of Liège (Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech) consortium, aims to shed light on the economic value of the ecosystem services provided by the Luki Biosphere Reserve (RBL), in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is part of the program called: «Applied Research in Ecology and Social Sciences of Central African Forest Ecosystems (RESSAC)», funded by the European Union (EU).

The main aim of this mission was to collect data on carbonization activities, as well as a determination of the monetary value of some ecosystem services identified as more important to populations bordering the RBL. Specifically, the focus was on: (1) conducting surveys and focus groups within local communities to identify forest species used for charcoal and firewood processing; (2) obtaining quantities and prices (in local markets) of the main products from the reserve and (3) to make observations and interpretations in the field to verify the information obtained.

This data collection mission was made possible thanks to the support of the RESSAC program, implemented by the CIFOR-ICRAF consortium and the financial assistance of the European Union, to which ERAIFT expresses its deep gratitude.