In its ongoing commitment to support higher education and foster innovation in pedagogy, the Francophone Digital Campus (CNF) in Brazzaville inaugurated a state-of-the-art multimedia learning lab on June 27, 2025. This milestone represents a major leap forward in the digital transformation strategy led by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF).
The official ceremony brought together prominent figures, including Professor Delphine Edith Emmanuel, Congo’s Minister of Higher Education, Jean Luc Mouthou, Minister of Primary, Secondary Education and Literacy, as well as AUF’s President Sorin Mihai Cîmpeanu and Rector Professor Slim Khalbous.
With this new lab, the Brazzaville CNF joins a larger network of similar structures deployed by AUF in 24 Francophone member countries. These innovative spaces are designed to equip faculty and trainers with professional tools for creating high-quality digital educational content, such as video lectures, e-learning modules, podcasts, and tutorial series. This technological autonomy enables universities to expand and enhance their academic offerings through more engaging, accessible learning formats.
While primarily intended for AUF member institutions, the lab also acts as a strategic driver of digital inclusion, remote learning advancement, and local pedagogical skills development.
Furthering this momentum, the AUF has deepened its partnership with the Inter-State Center for Higher Education in Public Health of Central Africa (CIESPAC) through the co-organization of a regional entrance examination. For the first time, this competitive exam is being held simultaneously in all six CEMAC (Central African Economic and Monetary Community) member states: Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, and Chad.
The initiative aims to democratize access to CIESPAC’s rapidly expanding degree programs—especially bachelor’s and master’s degrees—attracting growing interest across the region. The institution has surged from 24 students in 2016 to more than 230 in 2025. The exam is also a symbol of regional academic integration and a step toward a shared approach to public health education and human development.
This regional dynamism was celebrated by Professor Kiyindou during his visit to CIESPAC on May 16, 2025, where he delivered a keynote speech on the role of African actors in the digital transition and their contributions to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3): good health and well-being. He emphasized how digital tools, when adopted by African institutions, are critical in tackling the continent’s health, education, and social challenges.
The renewed AUF–CIESPAC partnership reflects a shared vision: building a more inclusive, forward-looking Francophone university ecosystem, grounded in practical solutions for higher education, applied research, and service to society.
Congo is one important milestone in a broader AUF-led continental program to roll out multimedia labs across Africa. From June 16 to 18, AUF Rector Professor Slim Khalbous visited N’Djamena, Chad, where he inaugurated a similar facility, delivered a public talk on digital education, and engaged with youth leaders from AUF’s CLÉF (Francophone Student Leaders’ Clubs) network.
Through these initiatives, the AUF reaffirms its role as a catalyst for pedagogical innovation in the Francophone world, while supporting Central African institutions in their digital transformation. The Brazzaville lab, along with others in African capitals, embodies a collective ambition: to build a resilient, connected, and locally responsive educational ecosystem.
Would you like me to rework this into a press release, brochure, or speaking notes?
