(ANS – Lubumbashi) – The first Scientific Days of the Don Bosco University of Lubumbashi (UDBL) were held on 25 and 26 April 2024, focusing on “Responsible Ecology: Crisis Management and the Challenge of Development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo”. The event took place in the large grounds of the Salama building, where the Faculty of Computer Science of the UDBL is based.
The objective of these scientific days was to discuss together the issues and challenges of Responsible Ecology, in order to connect the theme of ecological management with the different areas of life, the functioning of society and human management.
Students, professors, researchers and business representatives participated in this great event, as well as various consecrated women. The first day began with a welcome by the Rector of the UDBL, Fr Jean Luc Vanderkhove, followed by the reading of the topics of the discussion by the Secretary General for scientific research.
The opening remarks of the Provincial of Central Africa (AFC), Fr Guillermo Basañes, and other local authorities were also delivered before the start of the conferences.
The inaugural lecture was given by Archbishop Fulgence Muteba, Metropolitan Archbishop of Lubumbashi, who focused on the qualities of a responsible believer engaged in environmental management. This was followed by contributions on environmental management in university institutions, on the relationship between the Church and ecology, on the identity crisis and on the challenges of development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the end of the reports of the first day, several cycles of questions and answers were given to promote a better exchange between the speakers and the audience.
The second day, Friday, 26 April 2024, began with the reading of the minutes of the first day, before moving on to the conference cycle. This time, the floor was given first to business representatives, before the other speakers spoke on artificial intelligence, environmental crisis and challenges of production and human training, and finally environmental law and digital code. It should be noted that Congolese law already lists more than one hundred environmental crimes and related penalties.
Finally, before the closing address by Fr Tryphon Kalimira Cizihira, Vice-Provincial of the Salesians of Don Bosco in Central Africa, the final report of the activities was read.
Source: ANS – “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana”