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Friends of Catholic University of Congo

Friends of Catholic University of Congo (Friends of CUC, Inc.) is chartered by the Board of Trustee of the Catholic University of Congo as a non-profit organization to "assist the Catholic University of Congo in supporting its academic, clinical, and research activities."

The "Friends of Catholic University of Congo" organization (FoCUC) was formed to create and build awareness in the United States and worldwide of the Catholic University of Congo, and to recruit, develop, and communicate with US and worldwide supporters, and provide the latest information concerning the programs and initiatives for which external support is required.

Friends of CUC, Inc. is a Georgia, USA non-profit corporation, registered with The IRS as a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.

Friends of CUC, Inc. was founded and is managed by a volunteer team of experienced professionals, committed to Christian norms and Catholic principles in education, opportunity, and life in general. The team brings decades of charitable organization leadership, dedication, service, and involvement, as well as abundant business experience to the process of starting and running businesses and charitable, service, and non-profit organizations, recruiting, convening, and working with boards of directors, raising funds, programming, maintaining financial controls, and ensuring those funds are used in the manner envisioned by donors and consistent with the organization's values and bylaws.

FoCUC's chief liaison to Catholic University of Congo is Father Jean Ikanga, SVD (Society of the Divine Word). Father Ikanga is a citizen of DRC, CUC Assistant Professor, and a 2019 graduate of Emory University's Brain Health Masters Degree Program (Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA).

"Friends" mission is to support Catholic Higher Education in The DRC, focusing its support mainly on enhancing academic programs within The Catholic University of Congo.


 

The Catholic University of Congo The Catholic University of Congo is a private Catholic University renowned for its excellence, its dynamism, its exceptional quality of teaching offered to its students, and for the relevance of its study program. The Catholic University of Congo was created in 1987 by the Episcopal Conference of Zaire. At the time of its founding, the institution thus had two faculties: the faculty of Theology and the faculty of Philosophy. In July 1989, the Standing Committee of Bishops decided to create a third faculty, that of Development Sciences and Techniques. Since the academic year 2000-2001, that faculty was renamed to the Faculty of Economics and Development. During the same session of July 1989, the Standing Committee decided to organize within the Faculty of Theology, a department of Canon Law. In June 1991, the Standing Committee of Bishops decided to create a fourth faculty: the Faculty of Social Communications, the official opening of which took place in October 1993.

At the end of the Board of Directors meeting in June 2007, the Standing Committee of Bishops decided to create a sixth faculty: the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences which opened its doors in October 2009. After five years, it was be split into the Faculty of Law and that of Political Sciences.

In view of the stature of the Catholic faculties of Kinshasa, the plenary assembly of July 2009 officially proclaimed them the Catholic University of Congo (UCC), whose statutes were already approved in 2003 and the Rules of Procedure in 2008.

The Catholic University of Congo now offers a diversified program according to faculties and degree ranging from 1st, 2nd and 3rd cycle, characterized by interdisciplinarity, the enhancement of general culture and Christian values.

The Catholic University of Congo (UCC) has two campuses, one located in the heart of the city of Kinshasa in Limete, the other in the western part of the city, in the commune of Mont Ngafula. Its two campuses, the Limete campus and the Mont-Ngafula campus, are integrated into the urban fabric of the city of Kinshasa.

The Mont-Ngafula Campus is under construction, it is located in the western part of the city of Kinshasa, in the municipality of Mont Ngafula near the Sainte Rita parish, opposite the Cite-verte district. It has three faculties including that of Theology which holds the chair of the Catholic University of Congo, of Philosophy, and that of Social Communications. Its building is built on three levels, in the form of a cross of Jesus, each wing of which constitutes a set of audiences.

The Campus of Limete, which includes four faculties, is located on Avenue de l'Universite in the center of the city of Kinshasa, in the Municipality of Limete, near the parish of Saint Raphael, just next to the Pastoral Center of Lindonge. The Faculties organized at the Limete site are: Canon Law, Economics and Development, Law, and Political Sciences. It is at this site where the administration of the University is based, also including the large library, the research center, offices, a pharmacy and many restaurants and terraces frequented by students.

The Catholic University of Congo is directly accessible on foot, by bus, taxi, or personal automobile. The site features ample parking for staff and student vehicles, close to the buildings. CUC is the quintessential urban university.

 CUC Medical School - Latest Accomplishments 

Medical School of Catholic University of The Congo Established, first two cohorts matriculated
- Preparatory year: 412 students in the first year of the program
- Bachelor 2: 167 students in first year of program
- Bachelor 1: 269 students in second year of program
Total of 848 students

Laboratories equipped:
- Biology lab equipped and in use (donation from Conference of bishops of Italy)
- Chemistry lab also equipped and in use (donation from Conference of bishops of Italy)
- Lab of physics: to be equipped this year (2024)
- Histology: getting contract for cytomime (virtual microscope) for next year

Equipment received:
- Anatomage table: in August 2023 (1st in Central Africa)
  . First and only virtual anatomy dissection table in Africa
  . $20 Thousand first payment made. $94 Thousand needed to complete funding/payments
- Lumipulse G600 II for biomarkers of Alzheimer's Disease: February 2024 (First in Africa)
- Blood Analyzer (Lumipulse G600 blood analyzer) - Deployed and Operating
  . Used for Alzheimer research, clinical diagnosis, student training
  . First and only one in Africa
- Nanopore for DNA extraction: February 2024

School of Medicine - New Building
- CUC received loan from equity bank and will start the construction soon of new SOM building
- Scheduled for completion in Fall 2025

Procured and distributed 105 Tablet PCs for medical school students (B1 and B2) whose parents are unable to buy computers for their children
- Need 200 More, at $400 per tablet
- Donated funds needed to fulfill current need
- Ongoing need of approximately $150 Thousand per year to fund tablet PCs for upcoming cohorts of medical students

Hired two new medical school faculty members
- New Member 1: Benedict Moni, PhD, Full time prof, subjects: Biology, molecular biology, and biochemistry
- New Member 2: Cecile Tendobi, MD, PhD, Full time Prof Subject Matter Expertise: Embryology, physiology of reproduction and genecology

Friends of CUC, Inc. - Operating as "Going Concern" to support CUC Medical School
- GuideStar listed as legitimate charity with purpose and history
- Equipment acquisition and deployment process functioning: Tablet PCs, Anatomage Table, Blood Analyzer
- Grant application process functioning

 

The project entries below provide information about
CUC initiatives being supported by "Friends."  
 Medical School Start-Up Program Presentation    Click on any of the entries above to view  
  We would love to hear from you!     Send us a note!   eMail Envelope   (Click on the envelope to write a note)  

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