An important part of UNamur's activities with countries in the South is part of the vision of the Direction-Générale Coopération au Développement et Aide Humanitaire (DGD) and the program of the Commission de la Coopération au Développement de l'Académie de recherche et d'enseignement supérieur de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (ARES-CCD). This academic cooperation program aims to respond to local and global development challenges and contribute to the stakes of Agenda 2030.
As part of its 2022-2027 program, ARES-CCD supports partnerships via several instruments. These tools enable dozens of multidisciplinary and innovative projects to be carried out, international training courses to be set up and scholarships to be awarded for In & Out mobilities across Africa, Asia and Latin and Central America.
Eighteen countries of concentration are eligible for projects and twenty-nine countries are eligible for scholarships.
Source: ARES
These various instruments are accessible via competitive calls launched each year by ARES-CCD. UNamur takes a very active part in these academic cooperation activities at the level of reciprocal individual, collective and institutional capacity building.
The instruments
Projet de Recherche pour le Développement and Projet de Formation Sud
A PRD (Projet de Recherche pour le Développement) is a research and knowledge dissemination project resulting from a joint North-South initiative responding to a local, national or even regional development issue that goes beyond the boundaries of the academic world.
A PFS (Projet de Formation Sud) is a higher education support project resulting from a joint North-South initiative in response to a training need identified in local, national or regional society. A PFS can involve creating a new training program or supporting an existing one.
PRD/PFS are carried out in partnership between at least two FWB higher education institutions and a higher education institution in one of the 18 ARES focus countries. UNamur is a privileged partner for this type of program.
Projects coordinated by UNamur
PRD
Kivu Coltan: Physico-chemical processing capacity and application studies
Project partner institutions:
- Coordination UNamur, Philippe Lambin
- ULiège
- Institut Supérieur Pédagogique de Bukavu
- Université Catholique de Bukavu
PRD
Project partner institutions:
- Coordination UNamur, Stéphane Leyens
- UCLouvain
- ULiège
- Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco
- Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru
- Pontificia Universidad Catolica del Peru
- Asociacion Jesus Obrero
PRD
Project partner institutions:
- Coordination, UNamur, Patrick Kestemont
- ULiège
- Can Tho University
- Center for Agricultural Breeds of Soc Trang Province
UNamur is also a partner in projects coordinated by other institutions.
Institutional support
Through Institutional Support, ARES-CCD aims to support the institutional development of higher education institutions in the South defined as ARES-CCD partners. These institutions are selected after evaluation on the basis of a number of criteria defined a priori. Institutional support consists in developing capacity-building programs for a partner higher education institution, in order to create an environment conducive to relevant, high-quality teaching and research activities and services to society. Programs are defined on the basis of the partner institution's priorities. Thirteen partner universities will benefit from an institutional support program for the duration of the 2022-2027 program. Inter-institutional steering groups work throughout the program.
UNamur is involved in Institutional Support with the following institutions:
| Country | Institution |
| Université d'Abomey Calavi - UAC | |
| Cambodia | Institute of Technology of Cambodia - ITC |
| Madagascar | Université d'Antananarivo - UA |
| Peru | Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco - UNSAAC |
| Rwanda | University of Rwanda - UR |
| RDC | Université de Kinshasa - UNIKIN |
| Vietnam | Vietnam National University of Agriculture - VNUA |
Start-up and valorization projects
The valorization projects aim to capitalize on the mixed skills of academic players, civil society and the public and private sectors. The seed projects are being implemented for the first time as part of the 2022-2027 program. Their aim is to initiate new research ideas, acting as incubators that enhance the diversity of expertise. The first call saw UNamur land a seed project in partnership with the University of Kinshasa.
Doctoral and postdoctoral mobility grant program
Since 2018, ARES-CCD has been fundinggrants for doctoral, postdoctoral and thesis finalization mobility. The aim of this program is to strengthen institutions in the South through mobility and the development of networks and partnerships. More specifically, this instrument is aimed at funding doctoral and post-doctoral students from the 29 ARES-CCD countries of concentration. Several UNamur promoters host young researchers under this program.
International training
Thanks to the Forum Universitaire pour la Coopération Internationale au Développement (FUCID), the NGO active within the University of Namur campus, activities, analyses and meetings to promote engagement on major societal issues are offered to the academic community.
