Our mission
Mission of the RMCA
The Royal Museum for Central Africa must aspire to be a world centre of research and knowledge dissemination on past and present societies and natural environments of Africa, and in particular Central Africa, to foster – among the public at large and the scientific community – understanding of and interest in this area and, through partnerships, to contribute substantially to its sustainable development. Thus the core endeavours of this Africa-oriented institution consist of acquiring and managing collections, conducting scientific research, implementing the results of this research, disseminating knowledge, and mounting selected exhibitions of its collections.
Mission of the museum
The AfricaMuseum is a centre for knowledge and resources on Africa, in particular Central Africa, in an historical, contemporary, and global context. The museum exhibits unique collections. It is a place of memory on the colonial past and strives to be a dynamic platform for exchanges and dialogues between cultures and generations.
Organisation
The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) is one of Belgium's ten federal scientific institutes (FSI), under the authority of the Secretary of State for Federal Science Policy.
The museum has some 250 employees, including 80 scientists.
The scientific institute is divided into three departments:
- Cultural Anthropology and History
- Earth Sciences
- Biology.
> Discover our research
Management and consultative bodies
Management Committee
It is responsible for the financial, material and administrative management of the institution, and serves the same function for the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences.
Chaired by a representative of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, it is made up of four external members (university academics and management experts), the managing directors of each institution, and two representatives of the Belgian Federal Science Policy Office.
Composition
Members with voting rights:
- Frank Monteny, Director General, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Chairman
- Bart Ouvry, Director RMCA, Vice-Chairman
- Marcel Van Camp, Director RBINS, Vice-Chairman
- Claude Bragard, Université de Louvain-La-Neuve
- Alain Heynen Advisor General, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
- Jacques de Gerlache, Communications Manager, SOLVAY S.A.
- Ingrid Vanden Berghe, Director General, National Geographic Institute of Belgium
- Koen Verhoest, Professor, University of Antwerp - Department of Political Sciences
Members with advisory rights:
- Bruno Danis, Chairman of the RBINS Scientific Council
- Lieven Dejaeger, Inspector General of Finance
- Pierre de Maret, Chairman of the RMCA Scientific Council
- Yves Geens, Accountant RMCA
- Brigitte Lauwaert, Head of Scientific Section, MUMM and RBINS
- Jacques Lust, Secretary – Attaché, Belgian Federal Scientific Policy Office
- Marie-Solange Mukarwema, Accountant, RBINS
- Françoise Stassart, Financial expert, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office
- Didier Van den Spiegel, Head of Section, RMCA
Director's Advisory Committee
Composition
Chairman: Bart Ouvry, Director-General
Members with voting rights:
- François Kervyn de Meerendré, Head of Department a.i. Earth Sciences
- Els Cornelissen, Head of Department a.i. History and Cultural Anthropology
- Marc De Meyer, Head of Department a.i. Biology
- Jacky Maniacky, Head of Culture and Society Section
- Patricia Van Schuylenbergh, Head of History and Politics
- Didier Van den Spiegel, Head of Biological Data and Collection Management Section
Recruitment and Promotion Committee
The committee is responsible for the selection and promotion of statutory scientific staff.
It is chaired by a Federal Science Policy representative and is made up of two external experts from universities and the RMCA's Director-General.
Composition
- Robert Van De Walle, President, Belspo
- Bart Ouvry, Director-General, RMCA
- Prof. Sara Geenen, University of Antwerp
- Prof. Caroline Nieberding, Université catholique de Louvain
Consultative Committee
This committee is an advisory body focusing on well-being at work and working conditions. It is made up of museum staff and workers’ organisations (unions).
Composition
Management representatives:
- Bart Ouvry, Chairman
- Els Cornelissen
- Marc De Meyer
- Isabelle Gérard
- François Kervyn de Meerendré
- Kristien Opstaele
- Valérie Herzet
- Mario Thoilants
- Johan Van Impe
- Dirk Verbist
Union representatives:
CGSP – FGTB:
CSC – Public Services:
- Kai Saillart
- Patricia Van Schuylenbergh, RMCA representative
- Jean-Christophe Vancoppenolle
VSOA-Groep 2:
Prevention advisors:
- Mario Thoilants
- Johan Van Impe
Company Doctor:
Code of ethics
The AfricaMuseum has a code of ethics to which all partners wishing to organize an event in or around the museum must adhere.
Gender equality plan and Diversity charter
As one of the 10 Federal Scientific Institutions under the competence of BELSPO, the Royal Museum for Central Africa subscribes to the Gender Equality Plan (GEP) as developed by our administration. The RMCA commits itself to carry out the actions proposed in the GEP, to give its staff access to the relevant training courses organised by the government (SELOR and IFA), to collect the necessary data and to make them public through the annual reports. The RMCA has developed a Diversity Charter (available in Dutch and in French) in this framework.
Peer review reports
Research activities
This report presents the results of the assessment of the research activities of the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
This assessment was conducted by Technopolis Group in the period April 2014 - March 2015. The report was commissioned by the Belgian Federal Scientific Policy Office (BELSPO).
Public-oriented services
This report presents the results of the assessment of the AfricaMuseum’s public-oriented services.
This assessment was carried out by the Technopolis Group in 2017. The report was commissioned by the Belgian Federal Scientific Policy Office (BELSPO).
