KU Leuven and UCLouvain strengthen collaboration with Congolese universities

In 1954, the Catholic university 'Lovanium' was founded in the former Belgian Congo – a mixed campus with Leuven professors and both Congolese and European students. Over the years, Lovanium grew to include two Congolese universities, UNIKIN and UCC, and to this day there is close collaboration with the Belgian partners, KU Leuven and UCLouvain. In honour of Lovanium's 70th anniversary, KU Leuven and UCLouvain are jointly issuing 70 scholarships for research and teaching collaborations.

“The times of development cooperation are definitely behind us: cooperation with the Global South has long since ceased to be a one-way street. We are now seeking to establish equal partnerships, in which all actors reinforce one another and learn from each other. We want to facilitate this active collaboration by building mutual capacity: African bright young minds, like their European colleagues, desire high-quality education and sound research infrastructure close to home. Such capacity-building is a key prerequisite for Global Development: only by working together and by forging strong academic partnerships and networks across continental borders can we respond to the scientific and societal challenges of today," says Rector Luc Sels.

70 years of Lovanium, 70 scholarships

The Congolese and Belgian partners intend to use the 70th anniversary of the founding of Lovanium to renew the partnership and are committed to intensive research, education, and capacity-building collaboration in fields such as climate change, biodiversity, health, digitalisation, cultural heritage, and international relations.

To make this possible, KU Leuven and UCLouvain have made a strong commitment to jointly award 70 scholarships for doctoral projects and research residencies, among other things. These scholarships can offer Congolese researchers the opportunity to collaborate with Belgian colleagues, both in Congo and in Belgium. Where possible, research residencies will be used to engage Congolese colleagues in Leuven's educational programmes. By establishing a dialogue, Leuven students can learn about the major challenges facing DR Congo and the major impact of the research by UNIKIN and UCC, among others.

"We have long offered doctoral scholarships in which the doctoral student has one supervisor in the South and one in the North, and splits his or her time between the two countries. We see that most doctoral students return to their home institution and take on a lot of responsibility there very quickly. Something that struck me personally during a previous visit is the example of Congolese doctors who, after earning a doctorate and working as professors in DR Congo, deposit $50 of their salary each month into a fund that they use to purchase lab equipment for students and young researchers who, in turn, can start academic careers," says Vice Rector Chris Van Geet.

This article was first published on 13 March by KU Leuven.