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THE BRINGMANN GROUP: BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS FROM NATURE

Congo Project Once Again Extended

16.12.2014

The foundation Else‐Kröner‐Fresenius‐Stiftung (Bad Homburg, Germany) has granted for the fourth time consecutively – and in a further extended way – a support of the excellence scholarship program BEBUC for the coming three years.

Three members of the BEBUC Panel during a brainstorming meeting in Kinshasa (from the left): Dr. Karine Ndjoko Ioset, the Program Manager,Virima Mudogo, and Gerhard Bringmann. (Photo: private)

The scholarship program, which was founded in 2008 by the professor of chemistry Gerhard Bringmann from the University of Würzburg, and his Congolese colleague and partner Prof. Virima Mudogo from the University of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), is organized by the NGO Förderverein Uni Kinshasa e.V.. The NGO coordinates all ctivities of BEBUC in Africa, but also general management tasks of the project in Europe, which can now be further continued with power. Of particular significance is the close cooperation with the University of Würzburg, which has increasingly supported BEBUC during the past years. Thus, all 16 so far participating Congolese universities (two of them in the Republic of the Congo) and eight schools are contractual cooperation partners of the University of Würzburg.

The objective of the scholarship system is to give to the Congo a new generation of excellent young professors and, thus, to break the vicious circle of over‐aging, sinking quality, and hopelessness at Congolese universities.

How the BEBUC Scholars are Selected


Special about BEBUC is that the scholars are not only selected according to their documents like their marks, their Curriculum Vitae, and their letter of application; this is only the basis for the selection process. The candidates thus pre‐selected are personally examined – not only about their special subject, but also according to their personality and their future visions, in particular in view of their planned academic career in the Congo. Moreover, the scholarships are granted annually and each BEBUC scholar will be examined orally and personally every year to get the scholarship prolonged – meanwhile over 150 pupils and students of in principle all subjects. The excellence scholarship program has also gained much more recognition, like for example the incorporation into the Bavaria‐wide network BRIAS (Bavarian Research Institute of African Studies), founded some months ago, in which the University of Würzburg is represented by the Forum Afrikazentrum – and also by BEBUC.

Extension to the Entire Congo as an Objective


The funds generously approved by the foundation Else‐Kröner‐Fresenius‐Stiftung will enable BEBUC to now enlarge the scholarship program to the entire Congo, so that every excellent pupil and student will be able to apply for support in the future, regardless of whether his educational institution is already linked with BEBUC by contract or not. Altogether an average number of scholars of approximately 200 is planned.

Thanks to the Foundation and to the President of the University of Würzburg


"The granting by the foundation Else‐Kröner‐Fresenius‐Stiftung has filled us with great joy, we address our cordial thanks for their strong further support of the project, which also shows the big trust they have in our work. Without the support of the foundation, such a fast and positive development of BEBUC would never have been possible", says Bringmann. "But we are also grateful for the enduring support by our University of Würzburg as a reliable cooperation partner, and here, in particular by the President of our university, Prof. Alfred Forchel".

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