The BEBUC Excellence Scholarship Program: Towards 50 BEBUC Professors in DR Congo
Situation:
Despite its wealth in natural resources, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the five poorest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita. One of the main reasons for poverty – and the associated inadequate medical care – is the drastic lack of high-quality education, particularly in the life sciences and related subjects at good universities.
Objectives:
BEBUC identifies and supports excellent students, with a focus on medicine and life sciences, and accompanies them with intense mentoring on their way to their appointment to a professorship in the Congo.
As main indicators of a successful program we will use:
- Increasing the number of BEBUC professors in medicine/life sciences in 2024/2025 by six to eight
- Provision of third-party support for BEBUC scholars for tuitions and board for Master and PhD programs (depending on number of applicants, may exceed 1.4 million € during the project year 2024/2025).
- Fair and transparent selection of scholarship holders according to strict criteria such as
excellent marks, social skills, personality, future plans - Continuous individual support and coaching
- Annual review of scholarship holders on the blackboard (in the Congo) or online
- Regular reports by the scholarship holders on their studies
- Promotion of gender equality
The scholarship program makes a significant contribution to renewing the Congolese university system, with a focus on medicine and life sciences, improving the healthcare system and developing scientifically sound solutions for basic social needs. Sustainability is ensured through permanent professorships in the DRC.
BEBUC is unique in its combination of financial support and intensive personal mentoring. BEBUC unites excellence, interdisciplinarity, and internationality with private sponsorships. The scholars benefit from a close individual support from sponsors and mentors. They are continuously accompanied and supported on their way to a professorship. Through the BEBUC principles of action and participation in the BEBUC self-administration, the scholars learn and practise democratic principles.
Here you can find further information.
