Hope Africa University (HAU) was established in 2000 with support from the Free Methodist Church in Karen, Kenya. It relocated to Bujumbura in December 2003. At that time, it had 110 students. It is considered Burundi's best private university[citation needed] and receives the most applicants per year. HAU is the largest and fastest growing private university in Burundi with a peak enrollment of 1,700 students prior to civic disruption in 2015. Since 2015, enrollment has been gradually recovering with a large portion of the student body coming from surrounding Central African countries. HAU was presided by Sylvain Nzohabonayo until 2017 when Dr. Victor Barantota, (PhD Special Education), succeeded him as rector. In 2020 HAU was ranked 4th of 7 universities in Burundi by University Guru. Many of Burundi's religious, political and business leaders have attended HAU, including Denise Bucumi Nkurunziza, the wife of the former Burundi President Pierre Nkurunziza.HAU is a Christian liberal arts university in Bujumbura, Burundi. There are faculties of medicine, nursing, law, agriculture, amongst others. A school of dentistry has been planned and equipped, but as of 2020 is seeking faculty to oversee clinical didactic and practice supervision. Clinique Van Norman is a 100+ bed hospital with outpatient services established in 2012 as part of the HAU complex that provides quality acute and ambulatory care for a variety of patient populations, most notably obstetrics/gynecology and pediatrics. Board certified specialist physicians, teachers, and professors from the U.S., Canada, and other countries contribute to undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate preparation of generalist and specialist physicians. Most intern and resident oversight is provided at the HAU-affiliated regional hospital at Kibuye. The surgical residency at Kibuye Hope Hospital (KHH) is affiliated with the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons' (PAACS) surgical residency program. Recognition by PAACS demonstrates the quality of HAU's surgical training program. KHH has operated both an inpatient and outpatient nutrition program that provides nutritious meals to high risk residents from the surrounding region.Voice of Hope radio is a local Bujumbura FM station operated since 2008 by the university that provides further avenues for training in radio communication coursework at HAU. Mount Hope is an extension campus of HAU at Gitega, which is the official capital of Burundi, where the nation's parliament is seated. The School of Agriculture program is expected to be headquartered and run from the Mt. Hope campus.
Tree-based production systems embedded within Amazonian biocultural landscapes remain systematically undervalued in global climate, biodiversity, and development policy frameworks. This study assessed tree diversity, structural attributes, and carbon stocks across traditional cacao-based Amazonian agroforestry systems (Chakra), tree-rich silvopastoral systems, and old-growth forests in the Andean-Amazon transition zone of Ecuador. Based on 28 sampling plots (DBH >= 10 cm), old-growth forests stored the highest aboveground carbon stocks, while agroforestry and silvopastoral systems retained approximately 20-30% of forest carbon, equivalent to similar to 100-180 Mg CO2-equivalent ha(-1)-far exceeding values reported for monocultures or treeless pastures. A total of 151 tree species were recorded across all land-use systems, with forests harboring the highest richness (122 species), followed by agroforestry (35 species) and silvopastoral systems (28 species). Carbon storage was highly concentrated in a limited subset of multifunctional species: in agroforestry systems, eight species accounted for similar to 80% of total aboveground CO2-equivalent stocks, whereas in silvopastoral systems only five species explained a similar proportion. Dominant taxa such as Cordia alliodora, Inga edulis, Jacaranda copaia, Piptocoma discolor, and Piptadenia pteroclada illustrate a process of biocultural species filtering, whereby trees providing food, timber, shade, and cultural value are selectively retained while sustaining significant carbon stocks. These findings demonstrate that tree-based productive systems function as biocultural productive landscapes that conserve carbon, biodiversity, and livelihoods beyond forest boundaries. We argue for their formal inclusion, particularly traditional silvopastoral systems, within climate finance mechanisms, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), and biocultural heritage frameworks, alongside forest conservation strategies.
Este estudo analisa as barreiras formais que impedem adolescentes com alto desempenho escolar de obterem o certificado de conclusão do ensino médio antes de finalizarem regularmente essa etapa, requisito indispensável para a matrícula em instituições de ensino superior. A Lei de Diretrizes e Bases da Educação Nacional (LDB – Lei nº 9.394/1996) autoriza o avanço escolar mediante avaliação pedagógica (art. 24, V, “c”), mas muitas escolas resistem à aplicação desse direito por razões de natureza institucional e administrativa. Observa-se, ainda, uma recorrente confusão entre o avanço escolar e os exames supletivos da Educação de Jovens e Adultos (EJA), tanto no âmbito das instituições de ensino quanto no administrativo e judicial, apesar de o Superior Tribunal de Justiça, no Tema Repetitivo nº 1127, já ter esclarecido a distinção entre os institutos. Soma-se a esse cenário a edição da Resolução nº 211/2024 do Conselho Estadual de Educação do Amazonas, que proíbe a reclassificação para fins de conclusão do ensino médio, em afronta à legislação federal e a princípios constitucionais. A pesquisa, portanto, propõe uma crítica ao formalismo legal que compromete a efetividade dos direitos à educação, à dignidade da pessoa humana e à igualdade, demonstrando que a solução reside na aplicação coerente da norma vigente, com respeito à individualidade e ao desenvolvimento integral do estudante.
Background Undergraduate research exposure can strengthen critical appraisal, scientific reasoning, and evidence-based practice among future doctors. In low-resource settings, student engagement in research also matters for building locally relevant research capacity. However, little is known about the extent of research participation among medical students in Burundi or the barriers they face. This study described medical students’ research participation, attitudes, barriers, and suggested supports in Burundi. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey from July to August 2023 among medical students from the University of Burundi (UB), Hope Africa University (HAU), and the University of Ngozi (UNG). Eligible students were those in years who had completed compulsory research-related coursework. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire administered in paper and online formats. The questionnaire was adapted from previously published tools and revised for the Burundian context. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, attitudes toward research, research experience, perceived barriers, and proposed interventions. Exploratory comparisons used chi-square and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results A total of 240 students participated (mean age 25.3 years, SD = 3.0); 63.7% were male, and 53.3% were from the University of Burundi. Most respondents rated research as very important for undergraduate students (80.8%) and reported very high personal interest in participating in research during their medical training (77.5%). Although 78.8% reported having attended a research course, module, or workshop outside compulsory research modules, only 30.0% had previously participated in a research project. The most commonly reported barriers were low confidence in research knowledge (49.6%) and lack of mentors (32.1%). Students most frequently recommended a dedicated research support centre (76.2%), more opportunities to join ongoing studies (58.7%), support to attend conferences (58.3%), close supervision by senior lecturers (56.7%), and annual research workshops (54.6%). Conclusion Medical students in Burundi reported strong research interest, but relatively limited direct participation in research projects. Their participation was concentrated in the early and operational stages of research rather than in analysis, writing, and dissemination. Medical schools in Burundi may benefit from strengthening mentorship, creating structured opportunities for hands-on research, and establishing student-oriented research support mechanisms.
We aimed to compare a bundle of enhanced feeding strategies, including breastmilk fortification with term and preterm infant formula, rapid feed advancement, and moderate feeding volumes, to a historic control receiving unfortified, slowly advanced, high-volume feeds. The retrospective observational analysis was conducted in a Burundian rural hospital. We included neonates weighing 1000 to 1700 g at birth, admitted within the first 24 hours of life, and excluded infants who died or were discharged within 7 days of birth. An unfortified, slow feed advance control group receiving expressed breast milk advanced 20 mL/kg/day to a goal of 270 mL/kg/day was compared with 2 fortified, rapid feed advancement intervention groups receiving expressed breast milk fortified with powdered term or preterm infant formula, typically to 26 kcal/oz, advanced 30 mL/kg/day to a goal of 160 mL/kg/day. Neonates receiving the feeding bundle significantly reduced the time to regain birth weight (median [IQR]: (13 [9, 20] days) compared with controls (18 [11, 24] days). The preterm formula intervention group experienced 2.8 g/day higher average daily weight gain during the first 3 weeks of life (95% CI, 0.17–5.56 g/day) compared with the unfortified control group. No significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups in feeding intolerance, necrotizing enterocolitis, or mortality. Fortifying breast milk with preterm infant formula combined with rapid feed advancement may be a feasible, effective strategy to improve early weight gain in preterm neonates. This is relevant in low-income settings where nutrition support products are not readily available.
A Base Fluvial Integrada Arpão, localizada na calha do rio Solimões, nas proximidades de Coari-AM, representa uma das experiências mais relevantes de adaptação da segurança pública às especificidades territoriais da Amazônia. Criada inicialmente para enfrentar o narcotráfico e outros ilícitos praticados nos corredores fluviais, sua atuação passou a produzir efeitos que ultrapassam a repressão penal, alcançando também uma dimensão simbólica de presença estatal, proteção cotidiana e aumento da percepção de segurança das comunidades ribeirinhas do entorno. O presente artigo analisa a contribuição da Base Fluvial Integrada Arpão para a efetivação do direito fundamental à segurança pública na calha do Solimões, considerando os desafios jurídicos, territoriais e operacionais impostos pela criminalidade organizada em ambiente fluvial amazônico. A pesquisa adota método dedutivo, abordagem qualitativa e procedimentos bibliográficos, documentais e estudo de caso, com especial atenção ao relatório do Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública sobre experiências promissoras de prevenção e enfrentamento ao crime e à violência na Amazônia. Conclui-se, em apertada síntese, que a Base Fluvial Integrada Arpão deve ser compreendida não apenas como estrutura operacional de enfrentamento ao tráfico de drogas, mas como política pública de governança territorial, reafirmação da autoridade estatal e proteção concreta das populações ribeirinhas.
