The Global Days and the New Africa-France Summit in pictures
From October 4 to 7, the University of Montpellier and its partners in the MUSE I-Site project organized the " Montpellier Global Days: Africa 2021" prior to the Africa-France Summit. These four scientific days mobilized a total of more than 2,000 people who came to listen to and discuss six key themes. It was also an opportunity to sign the strategic agreement between the Muse partners and to celebrate the three new and prestigious Honorary Doctors of the UM. Back in pictures.
More than 2,000 participants, both in person and remotely, took part in these four days of scientific exchange. Debates and round tables punctuated the first two days of these meetings organized around six main themes: biodiversity; water; food systems; international health and the one health approach; agro-ecological transitions; technologies applied to "feed, care, protect".
THEMATIC DAYS ON OCTOBER 4 AND 5
Thematic days on food systems were held on October 4 and 5 at Agropolis International. The program of round tables: "Sustainable food systems ", "Food systems and markets ", or "Feeding increasinglypopulated African cities " ...
In addition to the Montpellier researchers from Muse, these days brought together, around Patrick Caron, vice-president of the UM in charge of international affairs, researchers from Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Tunisia, Morocco and South Africa. Representatives of the City of Montpellier and a Senegalese ambassador were also present.
On October 4 and 5, technology specialists gathered on the Saint-Priest campus to discuss the question " What technologies to care for, feed and protect? Many people from South Africa, Djibouti, Senegal, Niger and Côte d'Ivoire took part in the three round tables, led by Laurent Dusseau (CSU), Lionel Torres (Polytech), Pascal Bonnet (CIRAD), Nicolas Baghdadi and Isabelle Piot-Lepetit (INRAE).
MUSE members and their African, local, regional and international partners have established long-standing collaborations. Partners present at CIRAD for these two days devoted to agroecology.
Elisabeth Claverie de Saint Martin, President and CEO of CIRAD.
Agroecology as a means to achieve sustainability in the sector? The example of cocoa.
It is under the responsibility of Eric Servat, director of the UNESCO Icireward center, that the days dedicated to water were held.
Among the specialists from all over the African continent, the Senegalese Fatimatou Sall of the Association of Young Professionals in Water and Sanitation.
Alongside the round tables, an exhibition on research projects carried out in Africa was held in the hall of the Institute of Botany.
International partnerships, infectious issues, one health approaches... Glenda Grey, President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), was the moderator for these two days dedicated to international health.
Alongside Glenda Grey, Philippe Vande Peer, head of the virology and bacteriology department at the Montpellier University Hospital and researcher at Inserm, led part of the debates at the " Aimé Schoenig " Student House.
Biodiversity was of course a highly anticipated theme. The round tables were held at the Institute of Botany under the responsibility of Rutger De Wit (CNRS), Philippe Jarne (CNRS) and Daniel Barthelemy (CIRAD).
Allassane Ouattara, professor at the University of Abidjan (Ivory Coast), presented his work on the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, integrated water resource management, aquaculture development and fisheries management.
THE TRANSVERSAL DAYS OF OCTOBER 6 AND 7
After these two days of thematic reflections, many experts followed one another again at the Faculty of Pharmacy and then on the stage of the Arena for a synthesis exercise and new debates. Among them:
Nadine Andrieu, agronomist at CIRAD, for the restitution of the agroecology group.
Prisca Mugabe of the University of Zimbabwe, rapporteur of the biodiversity group.
The Tunisian Oula Amrouni, researcher at the National Institute of Sciences and Technologies of the Sea.
Nicolas Meda, former Minister of Health in Burkina Faso and epidemiologist, spoke for the "International Health" group.
Aboubaker Hassan, from the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of Djibouti presented the synthesis of the group "technologies to feed-care-protect
Numerous figures from African research and civil society took turns around Tawana Kupe (see honorary doctorate) among them: Mboo-Tchouawou Michèle from African Women in Agricultural Research and Development in Kenya. Joyene Isaacs, from ARC in South Africa, Alpha Kabinet Keita, from the Guinea Infectious Diseases Research and Training Center, Kako Nubukpo, from the West African Economic Union, Alice Ruhweza from WWF Africa...
Sina Schlimmer of the Sub-Saharan Africa Center of the French Institute for International Research
The afternoon was then devoted to a cross debate between civil society actors and researchers on various themes including the Great Green Wall. A debate in which the French Minister of Agriculture Julien de Normandie participated.
The debate on development through higher education brought together students around Moussa Diaby, from the Institut national polytechnique Houphouët Boigny in Côte d'Ivoire, and Serigne Magueye Gueye, director general of the Franco-Senegalese campus.
Valérie Verdier, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRD, participated in the roundtable: " What perspectives and trajectories for development through research?
Habiba Chaabouni, from the Tunisian Academy of Sciences was present for the round table " Building together the intelligence of tomorrow for Africa and the world ".
Conclusion of the Montpellier Global Days with Philippe Augé, University of Montpellier, Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Occitanie Academy, Michaël Delafosse, Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole & City of Montpellier
The New Africa-France Summit (October 8)
Higher education, research and innovation were at the heart of the event organized for the New Africa-France Summit at the Arena on October 8. See the video.
Throughout these two days of restitution and reflection, visitors followed one another in the 300 m2 space dedicated to ESRI.
Astou Camara of the Senegalese Institute of Agricultural Research, Prisca Mugabe of the University of Zimbabwe, and Abdoulaye Touré of the Guinea Infectious Disease Research and Training Center.
Philippe Augé at the Arena during the synthesis day.
Philippe Nérin from SATT AxLR was present alongside Bouna Kane, director of Simplon Afrique, a start-up offering training in digital professions.
Students with Siaka Koné from the Institut national polytechnique Houphouët Boigny, (Ivory Coast) and Serigne Magueye from the Campus franco-senegalais
Patrick Caron, UM's Deputy Vice President for International Affairs, talks with IPCC Vice President Youba Sokona
Antoine Petit, CEO of the CNRS
The ESRI theme of the New Africa-France Summit concludes with the signing of a strategic agreement between the partners of the MUSE project in the presence of the President of the UM and all the CEOs and directors of the partner schools, research organizations and university hospitals, as well as Sophie Béjean, Rector of the Occitanie academic region
THE HONORIS CAUSA
These Global Days - Africa 2021 were also the occasion to award the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of the University of Montpellier to three great names in African research.
Chipepo Kankasa is a pediatrician in Zambia where she practices at Lusaka Hospital. Watch the video.
It is from the hands of Philippe Augé and on the proposal of Philippe Vande Peer doctor (on the left on the picture) specialized in the fight against AIDS in Africa, that he was awarded the title of honoris causa. See the video.
Denis Mukwege, nicknamed " the man who fixes women " is a Congolese gynecologist who founded Panzi Hospital. This institution specifically welcomes women victims of rape and sexual assault committed in the context of war. Denis Mukwege was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018.
The Congolese gynecologist gave a conference at the Rabelais Hall to present his latest book entitled La force des femmes , in which he explains the method developed in the Panzi hospital.
Honorary doctor and honorary citizen of Montpellier, the ceremony took place in the presence of the Rector Sophie Béjean, the Mayor Michaël Delafosse, the President Philippe Augé, the Dean Mondain and many vice-presidents and members of the Faculty of Medicine. See the video.
Tawana Kupe (right) and Patrick Caron, Vice President International. Tawana Kupe is a Zimbabwean-South African academic. He is president of theUniversity of Pretoria in South Africa and a specialist in media studies and journalism. Watch the video.
Tawana Kupe and Philippe Augé during the ceremony. See the video.