Development cooperation
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech has long been active in developing countries, particularly in Africa, Latin America and Asia.
At the beginning of the 20th century, its teachers and elders contributed to the development of institutions in South America:
- In Brazil with the creation of the Escola Superior Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), the Faculty of Agronomy of the University of São Paulo, in 1901 in the city of Piracicaba (State of São Paulo, 160 km from the Brazilian metropolis) through Léon Alphonse MORIMONT, a graduate of the Institut Agricole de Gembloux,
- In Peru with the creation of the Universidad Agraria La Molina (UNALM) in 1902 - to which a reproduction of the statue "Le Laboureur à l'étude" was offered for the centenary of the institution by Gembloux's authorities and which is present on the campus in Lima. This institution was created following the on-site mission of the engineers Georges Vanderghem, Éric Van Hoorde, Victor Marie and Jean Michel, as well as the veterinary doctor Arthur Declerck.
With its traditions anchored in developing countries and in order to provide all the university's faculties with its expertise in this field, the Gembloux campus has also hosted the PACODEL (ULiège Centre for Partnership and Development Cooperation) since 2012 and a professor from Gembloux has assumed the presidency (currently held by Pr Jan BOGAERT).
The various professors of the Faculty are also regularly involved in activities in the South and the tropical aspects of agronomy are very present in teaching and research on Gembloux's campus (particularly in forestry, animal/plant production or agri-food). Currently, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech research/teaching projects continue to be developed in Central Africa (DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon or Gabon), West Africa (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal), North Africa (Tunisia, Morocco) but also in Latin America (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador) or South East Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia).
More information on development cooperation on the ULiege website.
