Dr. Lucie Aba-Toumnou, the Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Bangui in the Central African Republic (CAR), and her colleague Dr. Makatia-Wango visited the Institute of Vertebrate Biology of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Both researchers were in the Czech Republic for a short-term stay under the Erasmus Plus program with the Czech University of Life Sciences, with which the Institute has long been collaborating.
The visit aimed to deepen cooperation and organize joint research between the two research institutions in the CAR. An important part of the activities of the Institute of Vertebrate Biology in the CAR is the effort to enhance the quality and expertise of higher education, science and research, as well as the management of the country’s only state university. These activities can contribute to sustainable economic and social development and ensure security stabilization in this often-overlooked country in the heart of Africa.
“There has been a years-long research effort on the ecology of the symbionts of the iconic lowland gorillas in cooperation with local authorities, conservation, and research organizations such as the University of Bangui,” explains Klára Petrželková. Additionally, this summer, researchers from the Institute undertook an expedition to the Chinko Nature Reserve, focusing on small mammals’ biodiversity. During the three-week expedition, they confirmed the presence of over 40 species of small mammals (rodents, insectivores, bats, and flying foxes). “During the expedition, our team was accompanied by two University of Bangui students who actively participated in the research. They will now use their field experience to write their bachelor’s thesis. A potential internship in the Czech Republic under the Erasmus program is also in discussion; however, both students must first improve their English, as unfortunately, French, which is spoken in the Central African Republic, is not sufficient here,” says expedition leader Josef Bryja.
Both Central African researchers visited the Brno facility as well as the facility in Studenec. The translation into French was assisted by students from the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University.
