CBSI Network

The Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI) welcomed, on 14 April 2026, a delegation of senior officials from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), marking a strategic milestone in strengthening scientific cooperation, innovation, and sustainable development between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the United Kingdom. Held at the Higher Institute of Applied Techniques (ISTA), the visit was part of a broader effort to consolidate scientific partnerships in the Congo Basin. It provided CBSI with an opportunity … Read more

From 02 – 03 April 2026, the Institut Supérieur des Techniques Appliquées (ISTA), Kinshasa, hosted a national technical workshop, with support from the CRAFT–Sustainable Development and Congo-Flex programmes, funded by the UK FCDO and the Schmidt Science Foundation, respectively. The workshop brought together key stakeholders from operational agencies, research institutions, universities, as well as technical and financial partners, to address critical gaps in meteorological and hydrological observations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Congo Basin remains one … Read more

A new field course for early-career African researchers The Tropical Biology Association and the British Ecological Society are teaming up for a new field course, specifically for early-career African researchers. This exciting 10-day course provides practical training on how to design projects in the field, and is a valuable foundation for building a career in ecology and conservation. Set in the heart of the Kenyan savannah, the course combines field based learning with group projects and world class teaching.  How … Read more

As the largest green lung on the planet after the Amazon, the Congo Basin (CB) has exceptional natural assets that make it a key resource in global efforts to combat climate change. But to turn this potential into reality, one crucial factor must be strengthened: education of the region’s future generations. by Gode Bola, CBSI Secretariat, U of Kinshasa On Thursday 29 May 2025, the British Embassy in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) hosted a Congo Basin Evening, attended … Read more

📌 Register for an online information session about CBSI Scholarships to begin in September 2025 The event will be led by co-chairs of the Congo Basin Science Initiative, Profs Raphael Tshimanga (University of Kinshasa, DRC) and Simon Lewis (University of Leeds, UCL, UK). 📅 Thursday 30 January 14:00-15:30 (West Africa time) The session will take place online via Zoom. Zoom link: https://universityofleeds.zoom.us/j/83118206665?pwd=Lgnbk0MqZhbPprDshxIzr4p8gPAfQ2.1 Registration: https://bit.ly/4jphwKY More information on the scholarships: https://congobasinscience.net/scholarships/

On Monday 9 December, the Congo Basin Science Initiative (CBSI) supported a Congo Basin Science Fair at the British Embassy, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This saw students from the University of Kinshasa give a series of poster presentations, raising awareness of emerging science. The event was an opportunity to celebrate the recent £9.1m UK funding announcement to CBSI under the new Congo Basin Forest Action (CBFA) Programme. CBSI funding will support scientists across Central Africa to lead on critical … Read more

The UK government has announced £9.1 million ($11.7 million) in funding to scientists to provide the data and knowledge needed for policies to protect the world’s second largest area of tropical rainforest. The Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, announced the funding in a speech at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. The grant will be used to investigate the value and vulnerability of the Congo Basin rainforest and translate this new knowledge into policy action to protect forests, improve livelihoods, and support sustainable … Read more

At the 26th IUFRO24 World Congress in Stockholm from 23-29 June 2024, the exhibition booth hosted by the Scientific and Academic College (SAC) of CBFP turned the spotlight onto Congo Basin Forest Science. On behalf of the Co-Facilitation of CBFP, Mme Emmanuelle Matras-Swyndegauw (French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs) opened a four-day series of workshops at the booth on Monday 23 June. Mme Sywndegauw celebrated the visibility that the booth gave to the Congo Basin and congratulated members of … Read more

The Congo Basin Science Initiative is joining members of the Scientific and Academic College (SAC) of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership (CBFP) at the 26th IUFRO World Congress, a global gathering of forest stakeholders in Stockholm from 23-29 June 2024. Come and meet us if you are in Stockholm: together with SAC colleagues we will be hosting booth A01:01 in Exhibition Hall A at Stockholmsmässan, Mässvägen 1, 125 80 Stockholm. Over the course of the week there will be a … Read more