In November 2020, the D. R. Congo Young Academy of Sciences (DRC-YAS) was officially launched at the Université Panafricaine de Gouvernance et Innovation (UPGI) in Kinshasa, DRC. The launching ceremony was partially supported by the German-Congolese NGO Förderverein Uni Kinshasa e.V., as well as the university’s administration committee.
In the presence of a number of guests from government, the media, senior academics and others the inaugural assembly was first marked by a welcoming messages from Professor Virima Mudogo, co-founder of the excellence scholarship programme BEBUC in the DRC, and the representative of the Minister of Youth and Novel Citizenship Initiative. A highlight was the virtual address by the representative of the Förderverein Uni Kinshasa e.V., Professor Alfred Forchel, President of the University of Würzburg, Germany, who said: “When youth organizes itself to make science flourish and visible at international level, it is our duty to support them”.
In addition to the welcoming speeches, the audience also heard about key concepts of the academies of sciences, and met the newly-elected DRC-YAS executive committee members as well as the co-chairs Patrick B. Memvanga and Christian I. Nkanga.
Work to establish the DRC-YAS had started in 2018, and during the past two years the recruited Creation Committee has been closely working with the GYA as well as with national young academies from South Africa, Cameroon, Benin, and others, as well as Congolese senior academics towards the establishment of the DRC-YAS.
For a brief video (in French) of the launch event and information about the first academy members, see here.