Launch of the CarCade project for the Congo, coordinated by CUCI with international partners

Kick-off meeting with the Universities of Angers, Lomami, Mbujimayi, and Mwene-Ditu to strengthen university capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Parma, March 27, 2025 – The kick-off meeting for the CarCade project – Cultivating Knowledge, Ensuring Food Security: Strengthening University Capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo – recently took place, with the University of Parma leading the partnership alongside the University of Angers (part of EU GREEN - European Alliance), the University of Lomami, the University of Mbujimayi, and the University of Mwene-Ditu. The project is co-financed by the EU under the Erasmus-EDU-2024-CBHE program.

The project is coordinated by Nadia Monacelli, Director of the CUCI - University Centre for International Cooperation at the University of Parma, and involves the active participation of professors Filippo Arfini (Department of Economic and Business Sciences), Tommaso Ganino (Department of Food and Drug Sciences), and Federico Righi (Department of Medical-Veterinary Sciences).

The meeting, held online due to the dramatic situation in the Congo, marked the formal start of the project activities, which were initially scheduled to take place in person but had to be rescheduled due to the escalation of the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The meeting was attended by the Rector of the University of Parma, Paolo Martelli, the Deputy Rector for Teaching, Simone Baglioni, as well as the three Rectors of the Congolese universities: the Rector of the University of Mbujimayi (UOM), Abbé Apollinaire Cibaka Cikongo, the Rector of the University of Mwene-Ditu (UMD), Innocent Tshibangu Muamba, and the Rector of the University of Notre Dame de Lomami (UNILO), Abbé Richard Kitengie Muembo, who gathered in Mbujimayi for a joint participation, and the Deputy Rector for International Relations of the University of Angers, Catherine Passirani.

The meeting represented a crucial moment for strengthening collaboration between the involved academic institutions, defining the objectives and operational strategies of the project, which places food security and quality at the heart of its action, recognizing them as fundamental pillars for socio-economic stability, public health, and sustainable development in the Congo.

Despite the difficult geopolitical conditions, CUCI and its partners expressed strong determination to carry out the planned activities, structured around seven interconnected and complementary work packages (WPs), ensuring cohesive, sustainable, and high-impact implementation.

The streaming of the kick-off meeting is available at this link.

Launch of the CarCade project for the Congo, coordinated by CUCI with international partners

Kick-off meeting with the Universities of Angers, Lomami, Mbujimayi, and Mwene-Ditu to strengthen university capacities in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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