DR Congo: University of Kikwit Pushes Students From Job Seekers to Job Creators

By Badylon Kawanda Bakiman

The University of Kikwit has held its first Entrepreneurship Day, bringing students, academics and experts together for a wide-ranging conversation on how young Congolese can move beyond the traditional search for salaried employment and begin creating opportunities of their own.

Held in the university’s main auditorium in Kikwit, the conference and panel discussion focused on the theme: “From Job Search to Creating Opportunities: Rethinking the Professional Future of Congolese Students.”

Organized by the university’s Faculty of Economics and Management, the event sought to strengthen entrepreneurial thinking among students at a time when formal employment opportunities remain limited and growing numbers of graduates are entering an increasingly competitive job market.

Speakers challenged students to reconsider the deeply rooted expectation that graduation should automatically lead to employment in government, established corporations, banks or other major institutions. Instead, they argued that universities must do more to equip young people with the confidence, creativity and practical mindset needed to launch businesses and create jobs.

Opening the discussions, UNIKIK Rector Professor Alphonse Kapumba urged students to believe in their ability to build enterprises rather than remain on the sidelines waiting for opportunities.

“We must strengthen our conviction that we are capable of not just sitting on the sidelines. When we leave here, we can say that we are capable of starting our own businesses,” Kapumba said.

He acknowledged that the formalities involved in starting a business vary depending on the nature of the enterprise, but argued that one of the biggest obstacles is often a lack of determination, imagination and creativity.

“Most of the time, we fall into a state of lethargy, waiting for others to do things for us. This is also a sure path for students to start their own businesses,” he said.

Kapumba urged students and the wider community to abandon the belief that government alone is responsible for providing employment.

“We must no longer live like people who believe that it is the government that provides jobs,” he emphasized.

Jean-Marc Kitsiaba, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the Faculty of Economics and Management, examined the challenges and opportunities surrounding entrepreneurship, with particular attention to the mechanisms that can support the creation and growth of businesses within the Congolese socioeconomic environment.

He noted that entrepreneurship is frequently discussed without sufficient clarity about its meaning and scope.

“Many people talk about entrepreneurship without always specifying the meaning of this term, which is multidimensional. Every time, there are new needs and new developments that come into play in this phenomenon,” Kitsiaba said.

His presentation explored the different definitions of entrepreneurship, its multidimensional character and the motivations that drive individuals to become entrepreneurs.

Joining the event by videoconference from Canada, entrepreneurship specialist Professor Crispin Enagogo, Ph.D., focused on the need to “strengthen the entrepreneurial culture among students.”

Enagogo highlighted the role of families, universities, institutions and the wider socioeconomic environment in nurturing entrepreneurial ambition among young people. He also examined mechanisms that could help produce a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of creating businesses, generating employment and adding value to society.

Professor Guy José Leta, Ph.D., of UNIKIK, delivered one of the day’s strongest challenges to students, warning against excessive dependence on the traditional wage-employment model.

He argued that many students continue to imagine their professional future almost exclusively through employment with large companies, telecommunications operators, banks and other established institutions.

“The career model that students at our university have in mind is becoming an environmental problem. Many students often think of the traditional companies we encounter, such as Vodacom, Airtel, banks and so on,” Leta said.

He questioned whether established employers could realistically absorb the steady flow of graduates entering the labour market each year.

“If the university graduates an average of 200 students, do you think Vodacom, Airtel or the banks will always be hiring every year? This is a real problem. The entrepreneurial model is the one we must promote and develop,” he explained.

The presentations sparked a lively debate among participants, further reinforcing the central message of the inaugural Entrepreneurship Day: the professional future of Congolese students cannot depend solely on finding existing jobs but must increasingly include creating businesses, generating value and opening opportunities for others.

By bringing together university leaders, academics and entrepreneurship specialists, the first edition of Entrepreneurship Day marked an important step in UNIKIK’s efforts to strengthen entrepreneurial culture and encourage students to see themselves not only as future employees, but also as potential founders, innovators and job creators.