Around fifty participants — scientists, doctoral students, supervisors and representatives from universities and institutions — gathered for this event, which was attended by the Minister for Higher Education, Ms Edith EMMANUEL, the Minister for Scientific Research and Technological Innovation, Mr Rigobert MABOUNDOU, and Ms Claire BODONYI, French Ambassador to the Republic of Congo.

The scientific community was widely represented by researchers from universities and institutes in both Congos — notably ERAIFT, IRF, INERA-UPN, UDSN, UMNG (ENS and FST), UNIKIN, and UNIKIS — as well as by the programme's international partners, including CIRAD and IRD. The cooperation and cultural action departments (SCAC) of the French Embassies in Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) were also present, highlighting the strategic importance of regional scientific cooperation.

Representatives from the private sector and NGOs, including ATIBT, Olam-Agri and WCS, took part in the discussions, demonstrating the interest of economic actors and civil society in issues related to sustainable forest management. 

Finally, friends and family members of the doctoral students attended their presentations, adding a human and collective dimension to this ceremony marking an important milestone in their scientific careers.

The morning began with an opening speech by Ms Claire Bodonyi, French Ambassador to the Republic of Congo, who praised the commitment of young researchers and reiterated the strategic importance of scientific research in the current climate context. She emphasised that a better understanding of forests leads to better preservation, stressing the fundamental role of science in informing public environmental policy.

The speeches given by the officials present then highlighted the positive momentum of scientific cooperation between the Republic of Congo and its partners, while offering words of encouragement to the six doctoral students involved in this work, which is strategic for the future of the forests of the Congo Basin.

The institutional segment continued with a presentation by Guillaume Lescuyer, OFVi co-coordinator, who outlined the programme's objectives, its positioning in relation to other regional initiatives and its ambition to produce applied research that is useful to public decision-makers.

Vivien Rossi, OFVi representative in Congo, then detailed the activities already underway in the country as well as the prospects for rolling out the programme on a regional scale.

The six thesis topics were then presented by the doctoral students and/or their supervisors in a concise and dynamic format tailored to an institutional audience, highlighting their research questions, methodology and expected results.

These presentations illustrated the diversity of scientific issues addressed by OFVi in Congo:

1. Emmafie Bonda, a doctoral student working on the BioDiv-Congo project led by Dr Gaël Bouka, is dedicated to the conservation, sustainable management and promotion of tropical forest fruit trees in the Congo Basin: 

2. Abel Mouyabi, a PhD student working on the DyForDrone project led by Professor Jean-Joël Loumeto, analyses forest carbon dynamics in Loundoungou, in northern Congo, using data from drones and field surveys:

3. Fréjusse Miassouka, a doctoral student working on the EcoLoMay project led by Dr Nehl Kobawila, is studying the long-term response of the Mayombe forests to climate change and anthropogenic pressures: 

4. Samuel Kayes, a PhD student working on the Mounds project led by Dr Yannick Bocko, is exploring raised fields as indicators of past anthropogenic impacts on peatlands in the central Congo Basin: 

5. Maurice Bakala, a PhD student working on the Plasticity project led by Dr Garel Makouanzi, is examining the macro- and microscopic responses of commercial and secondary forest species to environmental changes:

6. Grace Bobangui, a doctoral student working on the TropiCO2 project led by Dr Suspense Ifo, is studying primary productivity and soil respiration in the peat forests of the Congo Basin: 

The morning concluded with a cocktail reception at the French Institute of Congo, following the thesis presentations. This informal gathering allowed participants to continue their discussions in a relaxed setting.

Video clips dedicated to each doctoral student will soon be broadcast on OFVi networks to present their work in a more tangible way, with images from the field and interviews.

Towards scientific complementarity: Gabon – Congo – DRC

In the afternoon, a scientific meeting was held at the Hippocampe Hotel to prepare for the operational launch of OFVi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and to ensure scientific consistency between OFVi's activities in the two countries.

Discussions identified several priority themes in the DRC:

• Ecological characterisation and dynamics of peatlands, which have been little studied in terms of fauna and the impact of human activities;
• Monitoring of fauna and game (camera traps, socio-ecological surveys);
• Forest ecology in Mayombe (Luki reserve): growth, phenology, ecosystem services, degradation gradient;
• Community forestry and land rights;
• Sustainability of agricultural and agroforestry value chains (cocoa, maize);
• Ecological impacts of hydrological variations;
• Ecological rehabilitation of mining sites.
   

Discussions also focused on OFVi's support mechanisms: funding for complete theses, support for work already underway, technical training (scientific writing, bibliography, rational AI), and cross-participation in thesis committees between Congo and the DRC.

Launch of a series of conferences between the two Congos 

Among the concrete prospects discussed was the establishment of a joint conference cycle between Congo-Brazzaville and the DRC, aimed at promoting the research work supported by OFVi and disseminating knowledge more widely beyond academic circles.

This initiative was presented by Marjorie Le Bars and Marie Normand, respectively scientific and academic cooperation attachés and cooperation attachés for the environment at the SCACs in Congo and the DRC.

The meeting concluded in the presence of representatives from the SCACs of the French Embassies in both countries, who reiterated the need to strengthen communication with the general public and encourage regional scientific synergies.

The ambition is clear: to increase scientific visibility across the Congo Basin, promote inter-university collaboration and create a structured space for dialogue between science, society and public decision-makers.