Mbuyamu Ilankir "Freddy" Matungulu (born January 4, 1955 Belgian Congo (DRC) is a Congolese economist. He was Minister of Finance of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 2001 to 2003. Biography Education Freddy Matungulu Mbuyamu Ilankir was born on January 4, 1955, in Lubembo, Bandundu Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the son of a Congolese civil servant. He studied Economics at the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN), with a concentration in International and Monetary Economics. After receiving a Bachelor's degree with distinction in 1977, he was appointed Assistant Professor in the Economics Department at UNIKIN and simultaneously became a credit analyst at the Congolese Bank for Foreign Trade (Banque du Peuple) in Kinshasa. In 1980, he was awarded a US Government scholarship to pursue his graduate studies in the United States. The same year he completed a diploma course in English and Economics at the University of Colorado Boulder and, the following year, another diploma course (English language) at the State University of New York at Buffalo. In 1983, he obtained a Master's in International Economics from The Fletcher School, Tufts University, near Boston, Massachusetts, followed in 1986 by a PhD. His doctoral thesis was entitled: “Exchange Rate Policy, Resource Allocation and Growth Patterns in the Zairian Economy, 1967-1983” (“La politique des taux de change et son impact sur les mécanismes d’allocation des resources et la croissance dans l’économie zaïroise: 1967-1983”). Academic career In 1986, Matungulu returned to Kinshasa and was appointed Associate professor at the Department of Economics of UNIKIN, where he taught courses in political economy (Departments of Economics and Law) and monetary policy (Department of Economics). He also taught, for a year, Currency and Credit at the Higher Institute of Commerce in Kinshasa. Seeking government experience, from 1986 to 1992 Matungulu was appointed to several advisory positions in various ministries: Special Advisor to the Vice Governor of the Central Bank of Congo Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Budget and Planning Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade Coordinator of the Advisory Branch to the Ministry of Budget Senior Advisor and coordinator of the council of economic and technical advisors to the Prime Minister Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Budget Economist at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) In July 1992, he joined the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington, United States as an