VLIR-UOS & ARES receive Honorary Doctorate from the Université de Lubumbashi
Friday, June 23th 2023, marked a significant milestone in the history of the Belgian development cooperation sector, as a delegation from VLIRUOS and ARES travelled to Lubumbashi (DR Congo) to receive an honorary doctorate from the Université de Lubumbashi. This recognition is a token of appreciation for nearly 30 years of academic cooperation. Since 1998, no fewer than 24 VLIRUOS projects were launched with the University of Lubumbashi, totalling 4 million euros.
For the academic community of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation (FWB), this common history began in the 90s. Through, among other things, funding from the Belgian Development Cooperation, it is marked by a succession of institutional support, research and training projects in the fields of health, agricultural sciences, veterinary medicine, urban management and political science. In these different disciplines, no less than 142 PhDs have been trained by the various universities of the FWB.
The ceremony began with testimonies from both Congolese and Belgian professors, each telling a story of why their experience with VLIRUOS & ARES changed their careers and why they felt the organisations were deserving of the honorary doctorate. The testimonies, each of them personal and inspiring, set the tone for the rest of the event. A moment to celebrate research and international cooperation.
The five-member jury, comprising Professors Malonga Kaj Françoise, Antoine Tshitungu, Pascal Kapangama, Ngongo Luhembwe Michel, and César Nkuku Khonde, shortly withdrew after the testimonies and concluded the conferral of the honorary doctorate to be justified.
Professor Ann Peeters (VUB), representing VLIRUOS, and Professor Serge Jaumain (ULB), representing ARES, were called onto the stage of Mgr Tshibangu Tshishiku Hall to receive, with the highest distinction, the first-ever honorary doctorates awarded to Belgian organisations for their efforts in the context of university development cooperation.
Benoît Haut, a professor at ULB and president of the ARES Commission for Development Cooperation, emphasised the unique nature of the distinction conferred today by UNILU to ARES and VLIRUOS. “Honorary doctorates typically recognise individuals rather than institutions, making this initiative from UNILU exceptional. This recognition honours all participants involved in our programmes. On behalf of the ARES Committee on Development Cooperation, I express our pride in receiving this title, which acknowledges the collective efforts of numerous collaborations between the higher education institutions of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and UNILU. These collaborations have yielded significant outcomes beneficial to all through equitable partnerships, and this award will further enhance our collaborations in the future.”
Dressed in the toga and colours of UNILU, we were honoured to be celebrated with Rector Kishiba Fitula’s laudatory words. Speaking of the relationship between UNILU and its Belgian partners, he said: “Today’s lesson deserves to be carried by each and every one of us, to be carried and transported wherever we are, wherever we dare […] like those who stood on the shoulders of the great, without burdening them, with a view to seeing far, far ahead and going further in quality, in research, in training”.
Tanguy Goethals, Director of Development Cooperation at ARES, remarked: “This is a recognition of the merits and value of academic cooperation and it is made up of exchanges and collaborations between teachers, researchers, students and all staff of Belgian higher education institutions and their counterparts at UNILU. This cooperation is fertile ground for the birth of new ideas, new skills with tangible impact, and mutual intellectual enrichment. This honorary doctorate encourages us to continue on this path.”
This achievement would not have been possible without the invaluable support of countless individuals, institutions, and partners who have believed in the vision of our organisations and continue to carry it out. We express our deepest appreciation for their unwavering commitment and support throughout this remarkable journey.
