Défis D’une Orthodoxie Éthique Et Académique Chez Les Universitaires Congolais (RDC)

Abstract

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the huge gap clearly observed today, but which in fact is the result of a cumulative process of recent decades between what is expected and what is done on academic freedom, is a cause for concern for African learned community and beyond. Trying to impose orthodoxy as reference, both ethically and academically in the Congolese changing university space, presupposes to consider the governance (nature/quality) of Congolese society in which the university is only seen as one of the main observation windows. As a prerequisite for successful reimplementation of the professional codes of ethics among scholars, we believe that any awareness campaign would not cause the breakup of disreputable practices dominating the Congo’s higher education if courageous, even unpopular but salutary reforms are not undertaken upstream. Even if scholars are to be questioned on their duties (Social Responsibility), it remains that their material conditions of living and working are not conducive to the rigorous application of ethical and professional principles for an effective exercise of academic freedom as a right. Material misery would induce moral misery and intellectual poverty, thus trapping academic freedom.