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Elected to the Board of Directors of the Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF) for the Caribbean region, Professor Evens Emmanuel, vice-rector of research and innovation at the Université Quisqueya, intends to make his mandate a lever to increase French-language scientific publication, strengthen the scientific visibility of the Caribbean and promote a more inclusive university Francophonie. True to the vision of French-speaking scientific diplomacy at AUF, he wants to unite Caribbean researchers around the same objective: to publish together, to innovate sustainably and to build the region's resilience.
Professor Emmanuel confides having welcomed his election with « a lot of emotion » and « a deep sense of responsibility ». Representing the French-speaking Caribbean within the AUF, with the vote of the member universities of Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the French Antilles, is in his view a recognition of the work done by Haitian institutions. His candidacy, supported by the Rector of Quisqueya University, Professor Jacky Lumarque, is a continuation of more than twenty years of collaboration with AUF, and commitment to research, university cooperation and scientific innovation.
Building on his academic background – a Doctor of Environmental Sciences, who holds the right to direct research in science, a former member of the AUF Scientific Council, president of the Réseau des Universités Francophones Responsables et Inclusives (RUFRI) – he is committed to making the Caribbean a space of excellence and scientific solidarity.
Bringing French-speaking Caribbean science to life
In line with the Manifesto for Francophone scientific diplomacy adopted in Cairo in 2022, Professor Emmanuel aims to increase the visibility and impact of French-language research. He called for the creation of an AUF-Caribbean Fund to subsidize scientific publications and to support researchers in the region in their research. It also proposes the establishment of a « French scientific publishing house »which would publish journals and collective works on topics such as environmental vulnerabilities, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or artificial intelligence. These initiatives, supported by AUF and the Académie internationale de la Francophonie scientifique (AIFS), aim to double the visibility of Caribbean French-language journals by 2029.
A structuring vision for Haitian research
Professor Emmanuel believes that research in Haiti suffers from a lack of institutional coordination and weak national science policy. To fill these gaps, he calls for the creation of HAL portals for Haitian universities, allowing to host and disseminate the end-of-studies work of students (licence and master) and researchers (doctors, doctors, lecturers and university professors). It also wants to develop a regional scientific watch to inform and motivate researchers to participate in international calls for projects. « Science is not only the case of researchers, it is above all a state vision. », he said, pleading for a clear commitment by the Haitian state, and more particularly the government, in the financing of research and innovation.
Train, popularize, connect science to society
Aware that science cannot progress without communication, Professor Emmanuel wants to promote scientific outreach and the training of specialized journalists. He plans to collaborate with the THEOPHRATES Network, which brings together the educational institutions in communication and journalism members of the AUF to animate seminars on scientific journalism in collaboration with Haitian universities for the benefit of media workers in Haiti. For him, bringing science closer to society is an essential condition for the sustainable establishment/strengthening of the scientific culture, education for citizenship, and the sustainable resilience of Caribbean societies.
W.A.
