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University of Kinshasa

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The University of Kinshasa (French: Université de Kinshasa), commonly known as UNIKIN, is one of the three major universities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, together with the University of Kisangani and University of Lubumbashi. Originally founded in 1954 as Lovanium University during Belgian colonial rule, the current university was established following the division of the National University of Zaire (UNAZA) in 1981. The university is located in Kinshasa's Lemba commune.

University of Kinshasa
Université de Kinshasa
MottoScientia Splendet et Conscientia
Latin: "Science shines and so does conscience"
TypePublic
Established1954
RectorJean-Marie Kayembe
(since 2021)
Academic staff
1,929[1]
Students29,554[1]
Location
Kinshasa
,
Congo
Colours    Red, yellow and blue
Websitewww.unikin.ac.cd

The university had an enrollment of 29,554 and a faculty and research staff of 1,929 in the 2018–19 academic year,[1] and currently has twelve academic divisions.[2] The Notre-Dame de la Sagesse is strategically located on the campus and provides pastoral ministries to professors and students.

Campus

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The university is located about 25 kilometres (16 mi) south of central Kinshasa, in the suburb of Lemba.

Many of the campus facilities have deteriorated and are in poor condition, or lack proper instructional tools - in 2003, the science library had as few as 300 titles in its collection. Since 2001, the university has hosted Cisco Academy, a joint project sponsored by the American software company Cisco and the United Nations Development Programme. The academy focuses on providing recent technology, training students to install and operate computer networks and all coursework is online.[3] The university does not feature in any university rankings.[4]

History

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Lovanium University

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The university was established in 1954 as Lovanium University by Belgian colonial authorities following criticism that they had done too little to educate the Congolese people. The university was originally affiliated with the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. When it opened, the university received heavy subsidies from the colonial government[5] and funding from the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development and was lauded as the best university in Africa.[6]

National University of Zaire

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The Rectorat, main administrative building at the University of Kinshasa

In August 1971, the university was merged with the Protestant Autonomous University of Congo (Université Libre du Congo) and The University of Congo at Lubumbashi (founded in 1956) into the National University of Zaire (Université Nationale du Zaïre, UNAZA). Ties were cut with the Catholic University of Leuven, and funding for the university began to drop precipitously. At this point, the university had an enrollment capacity of just 5,000.[5]

The decision to merge the private universities into one centralized system was made, at least partially, to counter concerns about political demonstrations on campuses. The entire higher education system was run by a single rector and faculty and staff were put on the federal payroll.[5]

By 1981, the centralized system became too burdensome and the decision was made to re-establish the three separate institutions: the University of Kinshasa, Kisangani University, and the University of Lubumbashi.

Decline in funding

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Newly independent, the University of Kinshasa continued to struggle financially throughout the 1980s. By 1985, the campus was in decline, strewn with trash and the dormitories in poor condition. The university's cafeteria stopped serving meals and pay for professors slipped as low as $15.[6]

In response to declining government funds, tuition was raised 500 percent in 1985,[7] and in 1989, deeper cuts were made, with the suspension of nearly all scholarships and financial aid and institution of new fees. Through the 1980s, as much as 90 percent of the university's budget was paid for by the government, with only a small amount of revenues coming from student tuition. By 2002, the government only contributed $8,000 (USD) of the university's estimated $4.3 million annual budget (not including some personnel costs which are paid directly by the state).[5]

Rehabilitation

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Student homes

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On 9 December 2015, students at UNIKIN appealed for the renovation of several heavily deteriorated homes, including homes x, xx, xxx, 150, 80, Vatican, and eight others.[8] These aging structures built decades ago, required significant exterior and interior refurbishment to ensure their structural integrity and overall condition. Erosion also posed a threat to some of these homes.[8] The Office of Roads and Drainage (OVD), supported by government funds, was actively engaged in addressing erosion issues in the "Trafic" area at UNIKIN. This initiative involved backfilling with earth and constructing gutters to control existing erosion affecting houses opposite UNIKIN. Torrential rains had further exacerbated access routes to this area, particularly at the Plateau des résidences des enseignants.[8]

On 10 February 2020, President Félix Tshisekedi launched initiatives to enhance the housing conditions of Congolese students, with a specific focus on rehabilitating student residences at UNIKIN.[9] This initiative followed the displacement of over 6,412 students who were forced to leave their accommodations after altercations with the police in early January 2020.[9] The students' protest against the increased academic fees led to a suspension of academic activities. The renovation project was administered by the Intendance Générale (IG), the Entreprise Générale de Construction de Kinshasa (EGECOK), and a company referred to as the "Contractor".[9] The administrative secretary general of UNIKIN, Godefroid Kabengele Dibwe, reported that 12 out of 14 residences had been rehabilitated and were awaiting furnishing for student accommodation.[9] After almost four years of closure, the UNIKIN Management Committee announced reopening student residences on 3 October 2023.[10] According to the announcement, the housing fee for a calendar year is $240, a significant increase from $32. While some students welcomed the reopening of the residences, they expressed discontent over the substantial cost hike.[10]

Omnisport complex

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On 1 March 2022, Professor Jean-Marie Kayembe Ntumba, the Rector of UNIKIN, received a delegation from the Ministry of Finance, Nicolas Kazadi. The meeting, held near the office of the Minister of Finance, marked the commencement of the rehabilitation and modernization project of the UNIKIN Omnisport Complex, which was in a severely dilapidated condition.[11] The projected timeframe for the work exceeded ten months and involved the refurbishment of the swimming pool and its facilities, the grandstand, changing rooms, the machine room, electrification, renewal of floor and wall ceramics, earthenware, and equipment for the improved functioning of the Olympic-sized swimming pool.[11] Nicolas also announced plans to upgrade the large stadium to international standards, featuring a synthetic turf playing area and stabilized embankments. Additionally, two annex stadiums were to be constructed, along with a protective wall and embankments for the basketball-volleyball and tennis-handball stadium, and a drainage network for all the grounds leading to the outlet on the Kimwenza road.[11]

Internal road

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On 8 December 2022, Professor Jean-Marie Kayembe Ntumba officially inaugurated the rehabilitation works of the internal roads at the site, pre-financed by EGECOK, which was carrying out these works in a short period of time, in consideration of the upcoming Jeux de la Francophonie.[12]

Nuclear reactor

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Main article: Regional Center for Nuclear Studies

The first nuclear reactor in Africa was built at the University of Kinshasa in 1958. The reactor, known as TRICO I, is a TRIGA reactor built by General Atomics. TRICO stands for a combination of TRIGA or “Training Isotopes General Atomic” and Congo.[13] The reactor was built while the country was still under Belgian control, and with the assistance of the United States government, under the Atoms For Peace program. TRIGA I was estimated to have a 50-kilowatt capacity and was shut down in 1970. In 1967, the African Union established a nuclear research center, the Regional Center for Nuclear Studies and the United States agreed to provide another TRIGA reactor. The second reactor, TRICO II, is believed to have a one-megawatt capacity and was brought online in 1972.[14]

In 2001, the TRICO II reactor was reported to be operational,[14] but was apparently put on standby in 1998.[15] The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo stopped funding the program in the late 1980s, and the United States has since refused to ship replacement parts.

International observers have long been concerned about the safety and security of the two nuclear reactors and the enriched uranium they contain.

Faculties and divisions

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Professors of the university in academic dress

There are twelve academic divisions at the university:[2]

Public figures

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Former teachers

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Main pages: Category:Academic staff of the University of Kinshasa and Category:Lovanium University people

Notable alumni

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Main page: Category:University of Kinshasa alumni

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Université de Kinshasa". Southern African Regional Universities Association. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Facultés" (in French). University of Kinshasa. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  3. ^ "Light in the Harvard of darkness", Economist, p. 41, July 5, 2003
  4. ^ "The Times Higher Education University Rankings 2019". Archived from the original on 2018-09-26. Retrieved 2019-06-15.
  5. ^ a b c d World Bank (2005). Education In the Democratic Republic of Congo. Washington, D.C.: World Bank Publications. pp. 102–122. ISBN 9780821361214.
  6. ^ a b Greenhouse, Steven (June 2, 1988). "Kinshasa Journal; Hunger Competes With a Thirst for Knowledge". The New York Times. New York. pp. Section A, Page 4, Column 3, Foreign Desk.
  7. ^ Greenhouse, Steven (May 22, 1985). "18 Months of Harsh Austerity Bring Indications of a Turnaround to Zaire; High Price Exacted By Lauded Reforms". The Washington Post. Washington, D.C. pp. First Section, A23.
  8. ^ a b c "Plaidoyer pour la réhabilitation des homes de l'Unikin" [Plea for the rehabilitation of Unikin homes]. Mediacongo.net (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 10 December 2015. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d Kantanga, Bill (25 June 2021). "RDC: Les travaux de réhabilitation des homes des étudiants de l'Université de Kinshasa sont aux arrêts depuis 3 mois sans raison motivée" [DRC: Rehabilitation work on student homes at the University of Kinshasa has been at a standstill for 3 months without any reason]. Oeildupeuple.com (in French). Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b Tshimueneka, Nancy Clemence (7 November 2023). "Unikin: les étudiantes saluent l'ouverture des homes mais s'inquiètent de la majoration des frais de logement" [Unikin: Students welcome the opening of homes but are concerned about the increase in housing costs]. Actualite.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b c "Réhabilitation du complexe sportif de l'Université de Kinshasa" [Rehabilitation of the sports complex of the University of Kinshasa]. Université de Kinshasa (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Lancé officiellement des travaux de réhabilitation de la voirie interne de l'Unikin" [Officially launched work to rehabilitate the internal roads of Unikin]. Université de Kinshasa (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. 9 December 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2024.
  13. ^ 1952-2002 SCK•CEN (PDF). ISBN 9076971056. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2012-05-16.
  14. ^ a b "Congo Special Weapons". globalsecurity.org. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2010.
  15. ^ McGreal, Chris (November 23, 2006). "Missing keys, holes in fence and a single padlock: welcome to Congo's nuclear plant". London: The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2010.

Further reading

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  • Tsakala Munikengi, Télésphore; Bongo-Pasi Moke Sangol, Willy (2004). "The Diplomatic Paradox: University of Kinshasa between Crisis and Salvation". In Trefon, Theodore (ed.). Reinventing Order in Congo: How People Respond to State Failure in Kinshasa. London: Zed Books. pp. 82–98. ISBN 1842774905.

See also

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