Malanje — Strengthening the education system applied to agriculture continues to be a priority for the French Government within the scope of its cooperation with Angola, with a view to boosting the country's potential in this segment.
The guarantee was given today, Monday, by the Ambassador of that country, Sophie Aubert.
To this end, the rehabilitation of 12 Instituto Médios Agrários in the country is underway, including that of Malanje, and the consequent reformulation of the respective curricular plans, an initiative developed with the support of the French Development Agency and the European Union, in favor of improving the profile exit for students, giving them skills to undertake in the sector.
According to the diplomat, who was speaking at the end of a two-day visit to the province of Malanje, another focus is on the continuous training of staff in undergraduate and doctoral degrees in the agricultural sector, in addition to providing equipment to institutions that teach this course.
As proof of this, Sophie Aubert delivered laboratory equipment to the Institute of Agro-food Technology (ITA) located at the Rainha Njinga a Mbande University (URNM), opened in 2019 as part of the partnership between Angola and France.
These are means that aim to strengthen the capacity of laboratories with regard to analyzing the nutritional content of foods.
Meanwhile, the Ambassador reiterated the expansion of Eiffel high schools in two more provinces, namely Huambo and Moxico.
In turn, the vice-governor of Malanje for the Political, Economic and Social sector, Franco Mufinda, highlighted the cooperation between Angola and France, the consequences of which are visible in the improvement of teaching in the agricultural field
He guaranteed the government's commitment to the full functioning of ITA, especially its laboratory component.
Meanwhile, the rector of URNM, Eduardo Ekundi Valentim, pointed out the deficit in the supply of water and energy as one of the greatest difficulties facing the institution.
Despite this, he made it known that several projects are underway, with emphasis on training teachers in water and food quality control, with funding from the European Union, production of school meals, in addition to the search for partnerships with industrial companies to expand production of existing prototypes.
The French ambassador to Angola held a meeting with the vice-governor of Malanje for the Political, Economic and Social sector Franco Mufinda, during which the socio-economic reality of the province was presented.
The diplomat visited the Liceu Eiffel, the Instituto Médio Agrario de Malanje (IMAM) and the Institute of Agro-food Technology (ITA). ACC/PBC/DOJ