Concordia University is building scientific bridges in Algeria

In May 2025, a team of Concordia biology graduate students travelled to Algeria as part of an academic exchange that deepened international ties and advanced critical research on biodiversity. The initiative, rooted in a Memorandum of Understanding between Concordia and the University of Tamanrasset, also opened new doors for collaboration with the University of Abderrahmane Mira of Béjaïa.

Accompanied by their supervisor, Assistant Professor Rassim Khelifa, the group led workshops on insect sampling and biodiversity monitoring, while working side-by-side with Algerian faculty, researchers, and local community members.

“This exchange was an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Khelifa. “I deeply valued the opportunity to share knowledge across borders and to see our students grow through meaningful international collaboration.”

Doctoral candidate Jordi Vilanova i Broto (he/him) was among the students who took part in the exchange. Originally from Spain, he brought his ecological field experience to bear in both desert and urban environments, helping establish vital monitoring tools and studying endangered species in the region.

“Travelling to Algeria for an academic exchange was truly great,” says Vilanova i Broto. “Not only is Algeria the biggest country in Africa, with one of the most diverse mosaic of ecosystems, but it is also the home of some of the leading universities in the continent.”

In the southern city of Tamanrasset, the group helped install a malaise trap, a passive device used to track flying insect populations. Such monitoring tools are critical to understanding the global biodiversity crisis, especially in regions that are often overlooked in international assessments.

“Being able to set up a monitoring station there should be an incredible resource,” he says. “Working with local people to set up the trap was easy — everyone was overwhelmingly friendly and eager to lend a hand. It’s also a place that runs on desert time, where time seems to move slower and without trouble. Time spent lying in a Touareg tent flows at a different pace — something that we all need to experience at some point.”

In the north, the team began studying the diet of the Barbary macaque, an endangered primate under threat due to habitat loss and human proximity. Vilanova i Broto was struck by the similarities between the city of Béjaïa and his hometown of Barcelona, noting especially how green spaces in urban areas can play a role in conservation.

“In the middle of Béjaïa, there is a pond that was once part of an amusement park. It’s now a conservation area, appreciated by locals and protected for bird species. I wish we could learn more from how cities like Béjaïa preserve natural spaces,” he says.

The trip, part of Concordia’s broader commitment to international engagement and sustainability, offered students immersive, field-based training while building long-term research collaborations abroad.

“Algeria is the mix of some of the most fascinating and ancient cultures in the world,” Vilanova i Broto adds. “More people should visit and stay a while — the people, the food, the ecosystems… it’s unforgettable.”