Université Pedagogique Nationale

THIS UNIVERSITY is a new addition to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s list of tertiary educational institutions. It was established in Kinshasa in February 2005 in accordance with the commitments of the now defunct National Pedagogy Institute. The new National Pedagogy University (NPU) also inherited its financial and property holdings from the earlier organisation.

The mission assigned to the NPU by the national DRC government can be summarised in three key objectives that cover the basic functions of a university: namely teaching, research and outreach.

• To provide specialised trainin in the country’s many pedagogical and technical institutes, including the NPU itself. In this regard, it should encourage the birth of new ideas and thedevelopment of professional skills, so as to enhance the nobleness of the pedagogical profession as well as the dignity of all practitioners.
• To plan the basic and applied scientific research that will impact on pedagogical issues that are specific to the DRC, while at the same time taking into account the evolution of science, methods and technologies at the international level.
• To make the outcomes of NPU research accessible to the public by publishing and distributing information, particularly in textbook format that would be usefulfor teaching at the secondary and professional levels.

The NPU offers a range of specialist areas of study through its various faculties. At the heart of the institution lies the specialist teacher and training activities. A School of Practical Training provides special sections for pre-school education, as well as for primary and secondary education. The main faculties cover the sciences, humanities, economics, the social and political sciences, agronomy and veterinary medicine. A variety of diplomas and degrees, as well as postgraduate degrees, are offered at the NPU; and UNESCO has funded a chair that specialises in the sciences of education and the didactics of evaluation.