University of Kisangani

The University of Kisangani (UNIKIS) is located in the Democratic Republic of the Congo's city of Kisangani. It was founded in 1963 by Protestant missionaries as the Free University of the Congo; in 1971, it became part of the National University of Zaire; and in 1981, it was separated from that National University, along with the Universities of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, to become the University of Kisangani. The Free University of the Congo was the university's initial name, and it began with 50 students and six full-time teachers.

Early detractors accused the founders, a small group of American Protestant missionaries, of attempting to counterbalance Belgian and Catholic Church power in the new republic. The University of Kisangani did receive some money from various Protestant organizations, but it also received contributions from the new Congolese government, as well as the governments of West Germany and the Netherlands.

MORE INFORMATION:
World rank: 4602
Location: Kisangani, Congo
Website: http://www.unikis.ac.cd.