Visit to Porto (Portugal)

In October 2023, Professor Jean Cossi GANGLO, Director of the Laboratory of Forest Sciences and Biodiversity Informatics at the University of Abomey-Calavi (Benin) and node manager of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF, www.gbif.org) in Benin, met in Canberra (Australia) Professor FERRAND Nuno De Almeida, Director of BIOPOLIS / CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, Portugal) and Head of Delegation of GBIF-Portugal, during the Governing Board meeting of GBIF.

This meeting led to fruitful discussions on institutional cooperation. In April 2024, Professor FERRAND Nuno, accompanied by his wife Professor Raquel GODINHO, visited LFSBI in Benin. During this visit, Master and Ph.D. students presented their research projects. Both institutions agreed to collaborate through the TwinLabs network initiated by CIBIO.

From 03 to 09 April 2025, Professor GANGLO visited BIOPOLIS / CIBIO in Portugal. He participated in a conference in Mértola (South Portugal), visited the facilities, and met key research leaders. He was impressed by the institution, which brings together over 45 international research groups working from gene to landscape level. Both parties decided to formalize their cooperation, aiming to extend it progressively to the entire University of Abomey-Calavi.