On 18 June, the IRD and Campus France are joining forces to celebrate the inspiring careers of alumni in Senegal. The event ‘Alumni in the spotlight: generations united to promote innovation and research in Senegal’, organised in Dakar, will offer an afternoon of exchanges in a friendly, intergenerational atmosphere.

A strong network of alumni

Present in Senegal since 1949, the IRD has supported hundreds of Senegalese scientists in their research careers. However, no event has yet been dedicated to these alumni, many of whom now hold key positions in research institutions and universities and contribute to local research. On 18 June 2025, this will be the case. Around fifty alumni are expected to share their experiences, exchange ideas with the new generation of researchers and help strengthen the new alumni network: Planète IRD+.

Transmission at the heart of exchanges

Co-constructed with Campus France, the event aims to highlight exemplary career paths, in particular those of women scientists who have benefited from IRD support and who, in turn, have trained other female researchers. The case of Mame Oureye Sy, a retired professor at UCAD, illustrates this chain of transmission. She did her state thesis at the IRD, then supervised Maimouna Cissoko (now a research engineer at the IRD), and more recently Mariama Ngom, who in turn is a teacher-researcher at UCAD. A fine example of transmission that could be found in many disciplines.

 
On the agenda:

- Meeting with the French team and the Senegalese Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation
- Presentation of the IRD+ Planet platform
- Conference: digital tools and AI for career development
- Networking evening