13 recommendations concerning all the points discussed, were adopted during the 4th meeting of the FOGRN-BC Steering Committee

The 4th meeting of the Steering Committee for natural resource management training support project in the Congo Basin  (FOGRN-BC) was held in Douala-Cameroon on May 31, 2011. The meeting was jointly presided over by Guy Mercier, Adviser and head of aid at the Canadian High Commission in Yaoundé-Cameroon and Professor Tafah Edokat, Vice-Rector of the University of Dschang. The meeting was attended by delegates from all partner institutions of the project (FASA-UNIKIN, ISEA-Tshela, ENEF-Gabon, ENEF-Mbalmayo, FASA-Dschang, RIFFEAC and COMIFAC). Also in conspicuous attendance were representatives of the ministries of higher education of the three target countries of the project (DRC, Gabon and Cameroon). Among several points included in the agenda for discussion was the adoption of the minutes of the 3rd meeting of the steering committee, held in Libreville, Gabon on May 31, 2010, the presentation of the annual report for year three, as well as the annual work plan for year four. The Committee evaluated the results obtained in year three of the project by ACA and partner institutions and equally validated the annual work plan for year 4. (Delegation of the ACA :  D. Khasa, M.-A. Désy, M. Monnerat @image credit: FOGRN-BC Project)

 Presidents of the CP: G. Mercier and T. Edokat                   Participants @Projet FOGRN-BC

At the end of the deliberations, 13 recommendations were drawn-up from the points discussed with the view among other things to:

♦ Increase sub-regional mobility amongst lecturers in order to re-launch forestry training in the DRC;

♦ Establish a process for the recruitment of a permanent faculty teaching staff in forestry institutions in the DRC;

♦ Set-up a follow-up committee for the review and validation of the proposed academic programme in wood science at ENEF-Gabon;

♦ Ensure the management of project property by partner institutions in accordance with GOAT;

♦ Consolidate the training of RIFFEAC’s communication agent as soon as possible;

♦ Encourage greater participation of partner institutions in the production of narrative reports;

♦ Boost the participation of other forestry lecturers within the continent on a new paradigm of course development based on a tropical perspective and ensure that once courses are developed, they should be officially handed over to the beneficiary institutions;

♦ Improve gender balance through an increase in the proportion of women in project activities and forestry in general; and

♦ Define a common procedure for managing grants for doctoral candidates within the institutions in order to facilitate and ensure an effective follow-up of their research projects.

For more information, please contact Prof. Damase P. Khasa (Damase.Khasa@ibis.ulaval.ca)  

Please download the Summary report of the 4th meeting of the Steering Committee for Year 4, held in Douala (Cameroon), May 31, 2011 and consult the official website of the FOGRN-BC project

The FOGRN- BC project is implemented with the support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA)