Introduction
Congo is a central African country with a population estimated at 2.6 million in 1995 with 3.0% annual growth. The country’s gross national product (GNP), estimated at US $1.88 billion in 1996.

Historical Perspective
Congolese higher education was born under the colonial administration with the establishment of a basic structure between 1958 and 1960 for a higher education system throughout French Central Africa (Afrique Centrale Francaise, AEF). 1958 saw the creation of the Institute for Advanced Studies, followed in 1959 by the Center for Advanced Administrative and Technical Studies (Centre d’Etudes Administratives et Techniques Superieures, CEATS). The latter comprised a literary major, a scientific major, and a training school for high school teachers. 1960 marked the creation of the Central African Foundation for Higher Education (Fondation de l’Enseignement Supérieur en Afrique Centrale, FESAC). Part of this network was the Higher Education Center in Brazzaville (Centre d’Enseignement Supérieur de Brazzaville, CESB), comprised of the Law School, the Advanced School of Science, the Advanced School of Humanities, and the Medico-social Department.

The FESAC finally crumbled in 1971, under the pressing need of the newly established states to confirm their individual sovereignty, and also due to Congo’s revolutionary policy. Congo inaugurated the University of Brazzaville in 1971. During the period between 1971 and 1983, the University of Brazzaville entered a period of restructuring; a number of institutions came to light, such as the Advanced School of for the Sciences of Education (Institut Supérieur des Sciences de l’Education, INSSED), which replaced the former ENSAC.
By 1977, the University of Brazzaville was renamed Marien Ngouabi University. This period was characterized by the predominance of political criteria in the nomination of senior university executives and faculty promotion.

In 1988 a conference called for reflection on the entire educational system and suggested a number of measures--a total of 275 recommendations--to improve the situation of higher education. As a result, in 1990 and upon decision of the presiding committee, the ISPL was closed down and its mission was conferred to the INSSED, which was in turn converted into a teacher training school.

Student Enrolment
Congo has one state university, Marien Ngouabi University (Université Marien Ngouabi, UMNG) located in Brazzaville. The highest rates of higher education demand were between 1972 and 1996. The number of high school graduates numbers entering the university in Congo increased by a factor of five between 1976 (3,785) and 1997 (around 19,000). For every 100,000 citizens, higher education accounted for 555 students in 1985, 582 in 1991 and 703 in 1997.

Faculty
In 1997-98 the teaching community consisted of 550 professors, among whom 41 were women. Currently there is a low number of senior professors and the persistent predominance of teaching assistants.

A major concern relating to faculty is recruitment policy, which over the last years did not allow for the renewal of the university teaching body, a number of whom are approaching retirement. In 1997-98, the number of part-timers exceeded that of permanent professors, due to legislation limiting workload to three hours daily.

Research and Publishing
Research is one of the main missions of Marien Ngouabi University; it is through research that faculty members become eligible for promotion by the CAMES. Faculty members at the UMNG are assigned a 6-hours workload for full professors, 8 hours for teaching assistants, and 12 hours for assistants. Faculty members are supposed to spend the remainder of their time in research, for which they receive a research indemnity.

Within certain scientific departments, such as the School of Sciences, the School of Health Sciences, the Teacher Training School, and the national polytechnic school, research activity is normally carried out in pedagogical and research laboratories on a multitude of topics such as biotechnology, chemistry, physics, materials science, physiology, nutrition, mechanics, electrical engineering, environment, education, and health care. In other institutions, research is organized at the level of research centers, units for practical training such as the anthropology laboratory, the legal studies laboratory, and the center for economic documentation.

Students are involved in the activities of these research centers mostly while writing dissertations. However, the economic crisis, which has had a significant impact on research budgets, and the destructive impact of the civil wars over the last ten years, have greatly slowed or totally stagnated the pace of activity at these research centers.

After years of inactivity, the publication of university annals has finally been resumed. But the lack of research publications is one of the major handicaps for researchers at the UMNG, and impacts their career advancement by the CAMES.

Private Higher Education
In September 1990, a law authorized the private sector to operate educational institutions. At that time Marien Ngouabi University was the only post-secondary institution.

Private institutions are providing mainly technical and professional training in such subjects as business management, and office and computer skills. The minister in charge of higher education as well as the minister of technical and professional education and the minister of labor give permission to private institutions to operate. Private institutions function according to their own norms and standards, and deliver their own specific degrees as well.

There are four recently created institutions: the Free University of Congo (Université Libre du Congo, ULC), the Paradox Institute, the Business Administration Institute (Institut de Gestion d’Entreprises, IGE), and the Advanced School for Business Management and Administration (Ecole Supérieur de Gestion et Administration des Enterprises, ESGAE).

With regard to the private sector, the 1996 decree, regulating private higher education, stipulates entitlements for state-provided contributions in financing certain categories of accredited private institutions; however, no private institution up to now has been able to benefit from this disposition. Most private higher education institutions survive on their own income, which is composed mainly of registration fees, which vary depending on the type of institution and the programs offered.

Financing and Resources
The state is the main funding source for Congolese public higher education. Other funding sources include UNESCO, the French Cooperation, the AUPELF-UREF, and the AUA. Marien Ngouabi University operates on financial income coming from sources such as the state and rarely from non-governmental sources. Since the publication of the 1985 and 1991 statutes, the total budget has increased significantly, yet a number of problems persist. The cost of personnel absorbs most of the state’s subsidy, the university’s income is insufficient and the portion devoted to operating costs has been decreasing continuously. Presently, university income consists mainly of renting university facilities, such as the dorms and amphitheaters, and collecting income from students' medical expenses and fees. Student fees amount to US $654 for nationals and US $2060 for international students. During the academic year 2000, income generated by student fees hardly covered 1.34% of the total budget.

Note: For detailed account on the state of higher education in Congo-Brazzaville, please consult: Gaspard Mbemba, African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook (Damtew Teferra and Philip. G. Altbach, eds., Indiana University Press, 2003), pp. 252-264.