(Université Don Bosco, Lubumbashi) – During the General Assembly of the Association of Catholic Universities and Higher Education Institutions of Congo (ASUNICACO) held in Kananga, the members of the Association proceeded to elect the new President and Vice-President. At the conclusion of the elections, conducted by Professor Abbé Léonard Santedi, Rector of the UCC and outgoing President of the Association, Salesian Fr Jean-Luc Van Kerkhove, Rector of Don Bosco University in Lubumbashi, was appointed President of ASUNICACO for a renewable three-year term. He thus succeeds the Rector of the UCC, who presided over this Association for nine years.
The members of ASUNICACO also elected Professor Abbé Christian Ngazain, Rector of the “Omnia Omnibus” University in Kinshasa, as Vice-President of the Association for a three-year renewable term.
To complete this Committee, it is then up to the President to appoint the Secretary General and the Treasurer of the Association.
High-level lectures were also given during the Assembly. The first of these, on the theme: “AI as a lever for the transformation of scientific research: opportunities, challenges and prospects in Africa”, was led by Professor Sister Odette Sangupamba, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science at UCC. The second focused on “Entrepreneurship. Misfit university students: causes and remedies”, and was presented by Narcisse Mayitu of the University of Notre Dame du Kasayi (UKA).
Following these two lectures, members had the opportunity to visit the city of Kananga. They set off from Thabor to UKA, passing by the Pro-Cathedral, the Military Academy and the Theologicum Christ-Roi Major Seminary in Malole, where the Rector of the UCC delivered a significant and historic theological address to the seminarians, inviting them, quoting Cardinal Malula, to “take their time of formation seriously, so as to become priests of tomorrow who are spiritually strong, morally sound and pastorally committed”.
These two days of proceedings concluded with a fraternal reception hosted by Most Rev. Félicien Ntambue Kasembe, Archbishop of Kananga and Apostolic Administrator of Kabinda, at the Archbishop’s Palace in Kananga. The Rector of the UCC took the opportunity to recall the Archbishop’s message to the members of ASUNICACO.
Faced with the challenges of Catholic identity, the pooling of resources and the service of peace, the members of ASUNICACO reaffirmed their determination to spare no effort in upholding and maintaining academic quality and excellence in their institutions, and to make them “new Antiochians” where members are nourished by the Word of God and where faith and reason meet.
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”