From the Classroom to Countrywide Reform

How a UCBC initiative is helping to resolve land disputes and strengthen governance.

For Serge Vuthegha, Congo Initiative – Université Chrétienne Bilingue du Congo (CI-UCBC) Natural Resource Governance coordinator, lasting change in the Democratic Republic of Congo begins in the classroom. His journey with UCBC reflects that belief. Serge was a student at the university when an innovative program focused on community-based land reform, Sharing the Land, first launched. He played an active role in the early research that would later shape land reform efforts across the country. 

Launched in response to deep-rooted governance challenges, Sharing the Land began with a focused research project in Beni, where more than 80% of cases in local courts were linked to land disputes. Rather than addressing only the symptoms, Serge and his fellow students worked to understand the root causes. Together, they developed context-specific approaches to data collection, land documentation and rights advocacy — not only within formal legal systems, but also at the community level.

What began as a small university initiative quickly gained recognition. The models piloted in Beni proved so effective that they were presented to the provincial government of North Kivu, which adopted them as part of efforts to digitalize land administration. The program later expanded to South Kivu, Ituri, Tanganyika and Mai-Ndombe, eventually reaching 13 provinces across eastern DRC.

Its influence has been significant. Research from the project informed a national land policy approved by the Council of Ministers in 2012 — the first of its kind in the country’s history. Today, proposed changes to the decades-old land law build on that work, aiming to better protect rural communities and ensure the law reflects local realities and customs.

Despite ongoing challenges from insecurity to war, Serge remains committed. “At UCBC, our mission is Being Transformed to Transform,” he said. “If we are to change the country, it must start with what we do at the university and carry it beyond.”

With sustained partnership and committed, consistent support, he believes student-driven solutions will continue to shape meaningful change in the DRC.