The student population at the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN) has grown exponentially in recent years due to the diversification of its training offerings, the quality of its teaching staff, and the services it provides to the nation through the high-quality research it produces. All these reasons justify its appeal within the national and international community. However, the exceeding capacity is the downside to this increase in the student population, putting a strain on student learning and the commendable work of teachers. However, the UNIKIN Management Committee (COGES), headed by the Rector, is working tirelessly to improve learning conditions by increasing infrastructure projects to absorb the flow of new students and improve the working environment of teachers. The task being enormous and the resources insufficient, the efforts made seem insignificant.

Determined to provide answers to the various challenges facing the university community in general and the student community in particular, the COGES has requested the support of UNIKIN partners to implement the "WORKING HUTCHES IN THE UNIVERSITY GARDEN" project. Indeed, the "WORKING HUTCHES IN THE UNIVERSITY GARDEN" project aims to set up huts or tents in the university grounds to allow students and other contract workers to expand and diversify individual or collective work spaces, as is the case in several large universities. This will help to relieve congestion in the faculty corridors, reduce tensions related to the dispute between lecturers, and even reduce the commotion and jostling that disrupt the concentration needed by teachers, students, and other university staff.
In this perspective, the COGES, through the Academic General Secretariat, is launching a competition for UNIKIN students on the project "WORKING BLOCKS IN THE UNIVERSITY GARDEN".

This competition involves asking students to design a model in photo or drawing format clearly representing the different modules of the project. The deliverable that the competition participant must provide must include 3 modules forming a coherent whole as follows:

• Module 1: includes masonry on an area of approximately 9 m2, covering and fitting out the ground, installing a roof of the same size, inserting furniture consisting of a table and two benches (or more) with a maximum capacity of 10 – 12 seats, connecting the hut to electricity with power terminals and lighting points, all together forming a single structure.
• Module 2: details the nature of the equipment to be used and outlines the technical specifications of each type of equipment. COGES encourages bidders to develop projects that promote the use of more environmentally friendly, less expensive, and sustainable equipment.
• Module 3: presents in the clearest and most understandable way possible the budget and time required to implement a tent.
  This competition aims to stimulate the creative spirit of students, to involve them in the implementation of the project and to project its appropriation by the entire UNIKIN student community.

A special COGES prize is reserved for the winner of the "WORKING BLOCKS IN THE UNIVERSITY GARDEN" competition and will be awarded during a ceremony specially dedicated by the Rector. The winner of the competition agrees to assign their copyright to UNIKIN, which may make changes if deemed necessary. However, UNIKIN may use the winner's services (expertise) in the execution and monitoring of project implementation activities, in agreement with the firm that won the contract.
A Jury will be established by the Rector to analyze the applications received on, firstly, their validity and then on their quality/price ratio, their relevance in order to identify the best project to be awarded. The Jury will be composed of 10 people including the Rector, the Academic Secretary General, the Administrative Secretary General, the Secretary General for Research, the Budget Administrator, the Director of the Rector's Office, the Principal Assistant to the Rector, the Legal Assistant to the Rector, the Principal Assistant of the SGAC and the Initiator of the project.

The application file must meet all the technical requirements set out in the previous lines in order to be processed. The submission period is open from Monday, October 28 to Monday, November 18, 2024 (3 weeks). Application files must be submitted in a sealed envelope to the general academic secretariat during office hours to a member of the office designated for any useful purpose by the competition jury. The student candidate must prove that he or she is actually registered at the University of Kinshasa by inserting in the envelope a copy of his or her student card and proof of payment of academic fees for the year 2023-2024.

NB No fees are required for submitting the application file.

Done in Kinshasa, 10/28/2024