HUYE - The Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (IRST), last Friday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with a consortium comprising various organisations. The MOU aims to boost joint efforts in research and protecting the environment.

The organisations include the University of Burundi(UB), the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and a cooperative of demobilised soldiers - Travaillons avec Ardeur pour la Promotion d’un Meilleur Habitat (CTPMH) from Gisagara District.

"In this era of globalisation every effort to development requires cooperation. This MOU should generate more discoveries in research,” Dr Jean Baptiste Nduwayezu the Director of IRST said at the ceremony.

The cooperation in research will start with examining environmental impact of the exhaust fumes emitted by buses powered by bio diesel produced by IRST. The buses are expected to ply the Bujumbura, Kigali and Kampala routes.

IRST is producing 2000 litres of bio diesel on a daily basis and it is already being used by several fuel stations, secondary schools and other private institutions in the country.

The Rector of the University of Burundi, Gaston Hakiza, said that the new partnership will enable the exchange of knowledge and expertise between IRST and the university.

"This is a landmark achievement by IRST because it is rare that research based institutions cooperate with other organizations. I think we will have much to benefit from IRST because of its accomplishments in research,” said Hakiza.

The head of the cooperative of demobilised soldiers Emmanuel Kavuma, said that members will benefit from the extensive research conducted by IRST on brick laying methods that are not destructive to the environment.

"We have been using traditional methods of brick-laying but through this collaboration with IRST we expect to get new technologies to make our activity more productive and not destructive to environment,” Kavuma said.

The director of IRST added that the success of the use of bio diesel will be one of solutions to poverty and ensuring a pollution free environment.

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