Congo Basin Institute
Channel: UCLA Environment
Date: 2014-10-03

UCLA and the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) are leading a multi-institutional initiative to develop the Congo Basin Institute (CBI), which will be a model for how universities can partner in international development. With an emphasis on in-country capacity building, the CBI will serve as a regional hub for international scholars working in the Congo Basin region by providing world-class research and training facilities and scientific programs focused on three overarching issues facing Central Africa: Water and Health; Food Security and Safety; and Climate Change. Led by the UCLA Center for Tropical Research, the CBI initiative includes 36 UCLA faculty members from 17 Divisions and Schools. Beyond UCLA, CBI partners include IITA, a global leader in finding solutions to hunger, malnutrition, and poverty; faculty from half a dozen U.S. universities; the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), dedicated to improving food security and increased resources for energy, sustainable agriculture, and ecosystem services; Centre Pasteur du Cameroun, a longtime major contributor to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases through research, teaching, and public health initiatives; and all seven major universities of Cameroon. Collectively, these partners have more than 150 years of experience working in Cameroon.