UVCI News

On Tuesday, July 21, 2026, the Virtual University of Côte d'Ivoire (UVCI) kicked off the first edition of the Doctoral Research and Innovation Days (JRDI). The opening ceremony, held at the institution’s headquarters, was presided over by the head of doctoral studies, Professor Fernand Kouamé.

Held from July 21 to 23, 2026, in a hybrid format, the JRDI is centered on the theme: “Driving Innovation Through Doctoral Research.” This initiative is a major scientific event for the UVCI’s doctoral program, which was created to replace the former Doctoral School of Computer Science and Digital Sciences.

Over the course of three days, doctoral students, master’s students, faculty members, experts, industry representatives, startups, and institutional partners will come together to discuss research challenges, promote scientific excellence, and strengthen ties between the academic world and socio-economic sectors. The goal is also to promote the application of research findings and the emergence of technological and social innovations that contribute to development.

In his opening address, Professor Fernand Kouamé emphasized the strategic role that universities must now play in contemporary societies.

“Our universities can no longer limit themselves to imparting knowledge. They must become spaces where solutions to the major challenges facing the African continent are developed.”

The head of the doctoral program noted that Africa, the world’s youngest continent, possesses considerable human potential. According to him, demographic projections indicate that by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be African, making young people an essential driver of transformation.

“This youth represents a tremendous opportunity, provided it becomes a generation of knowledge, creativity, and innovation,” he emphasized.

The speaker also called for increased support for basic research, which he considers the foundation for tomorrow’s innovations. He noted that scientific research must now be part of a broader effort to put science at the service of humanity, addressing the needs of both current and future generations.

Addressing the continent’s major challenges, he invited participants to reflect on the role of doctoral research in Africa’s economic, technological, social, and cultural transformation.

“The question that brings us together today is simple, yet decisive: how can we make doctoral research not only a tool for generating knowledge, but also a driver of Africa’s economic, technological, social, and cultural transformation?”

This vision was shared by Dr. (MC) N’Guessan Béhou Gérard, representing the Coordinator of the UVCI’s Research and Digital Expertise Unit (UREN), Professor Anoh Georges. He emphasized that the JRDI provides an ideal framework for stimulating scientific exchange, developing new collaborations, and fostering innovative projects that address society’s needs.

Through this first edition of the JRDI, the UVCI thus reaffirms its ambition to make doctoral research a driving force for knowledge production, innovation, and sustainable development, by contributing to the emergence of solutions tailored to the challenges facing Côte d’Ivoire and the African continent.