The University of Information and Communication Sciences (UNISIC), formerly known as IFASIC, is currently at the heart of a major controversy. The staff of this public institution recently took a radical decision during an extraordinary general assembly, giving a 24-hour ultimatum to the Kambayi Bwatshia management committee to vacate the university offices.
This action follows the many tensions accumulated within UNISIC, where professors, scientists, administrators and workers say they are victims of contested, even “adulterated” management, on the part of the committee headed by Professor Kambayi. The staff members denounce actions detrimental to the institution and ignore the legitimate demands that had been made during previous meetings.
Faced with this persistent refusal by the management committee to meet the expectations of the staff, UNISIC employees have warned that in the event of inaction on the part of the competent authorities, they will be forced to resort to a general strike. In addition, they reserve the right to initiate legal proceedings against the members of the committee for their mismanagement, as well as for deliberately harming the university’s working tool.
Beyond this internal struggle, it is the image and reputation of UNISIC that are at stake. While students and members of the teaching staff aspire to a healthy environment conducive to academic development, dissensions within the management risk compromising the future of the institution.
In this context of crisis, it appears essential that the Government intervene energetically to restore order and guarantee the proper functioning of the university. The stakeholders involved should focus on dialogue and consultation to find sustainable solutions that will allow UNISIC to regain its dynamism and its primary mission: to train the future generation of media and communication professionals.
In short, the situation at UNISIC raises essential questions about the governance of academic institutions and calls into question the need to ensure transparency and integrity in the management of university affairs. The issue goes far beyond individual interests to touch the very heart of education and training in the Democratic Republic of Congo.