Brief History

Last update: 23 May 2023

Based on more than 20 years of collaboration between Zimbabwean universities, Cirad and CNRS in Zimbabwe, the RP-PCP is the result of a long-term partnership in agricultural and ecological research for development and conservation.

The Research Platform “Production and Conservation in Partnership” (RP-PCP) was established in  2007 , formally associating the University of Zimbabwe and the National University of Science and Technology with two French research organisations, Cirad and CNRS, supported by the French Embassy in Harare.

 

In 2010 , after a  first phase of 3 years , a positive external evaluation suggested a renewal of the agreement between the four organisations. This second phase was signed at the end of 2010 and started a  new 4-years phase . In 2014 , a second external evaluation was followed by the entry of 3 new Zimbabwean institutions in the platform, namely BUSE, CUT, LSU and UNZA (Zambia). In 2020 , a third external evaluation accepted the idea of ​​a new phase of the platform, opening the possibility for more Zimbabwean and French institutions as well as new partners from Botswana and Mozambique.

Beginning of 2021, the staff involved in the activities of the RP-PCP represented a large international interdisciplinary group of senior researchers, academics and post-graduate students  from a wide range of disciplines, including Social Sciences, Agronomy, Ecology, Geography, Participatory, Veterinary and Sustainability Sciences.

The RP-PCP has been recognized as one of its 21 "Research Platforms in Partnership” by Cirad.

Last update: 23 May 2023