UB celebrates 30 years of excellence.

The pioneer Anglo-Saxon oriented university in Cameroon and the Central African Subregion, used the three days of activities to discuss and chart a better future for the institution and all its stakeholders.

The Pearl anniversary of UB was celebrated under the theme: “Impacting the future together through innovative solutions”. 

It was chaired by Prof Edward Oben Ako, representing the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo.

The celebrations brought together current and former students from the first batch admitted in 1993 to the most recent admitted in 2022. 

Four of the five Vice Chancellors who have headed the university: Professors Dorothy Njeuma, Cornelius Lambi, Vincent P.K Titanji and Ngomo Horace were present, but for Prof Nalova Lyonga. All Vice Chancellors, who have served the institution were honoured with special awards for their services.

Addressing the administration, lecturers, students and alumni, Prof Edward Oben Ako, representing the Minister of State, and Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo, appreciated the institution's achievements, which he said outweighed its failures. 

“The good thing is that UB has recorded more successes than failures, but it was important to have this pause to evaluate the distance covered and prepare for the next 20 years when the university would be celebrating its 50th anniversary,” Prof Oben said. 

He also reminded them to continue devising better ways to serve current and future students. 

“To the administration, lecturers and students, the university is on good footing because they have done things the right way and produced the right results, but there is room for improvement. They should evaluate themselves and see how they can move a step further in delivering quality education,” he added.

Celebrating contribution in moulding young Cameroonians 

The 30^th anniversary, to the Vice Chancellor of UB, Prof Ngomo Horace Manga, is an opportunity for the institution to celebrate its contribution to moulding young Cameroonians. 

“Today, we are celebrating the impact of the University of Buea on the academic landscape, because UB has graduated many students for over 30 years of its existence. We have built capacity in our youth and we believe that our graduates are contributing to the development of our country. That justifies why it continues to exist,” Prof Ngomo said.

He said the institution has been a force for good in the community through its outreach programmes, which he regretted have been delayed by the current security challenges in the Region.

“The university, in the context of its outreach, has been extending its expertise to the environment, be it in agriculture, tech, and medicines. Were it not for the violent perturbations in our Region, we would have had the development of fishponds in our neighbourhoods through the outreach activities of the Department of Fisheries,” he said. 

“Our students of agriculture have contributed enormously, spreading of certain skills developed in the university. In health, we were already involved in screening certain diseases while in energy, the Faculty of Engineering and Technology had certain projects with councils stalled by the perturbations we are all familiar with,” he noted.

On her part, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of UB, Prof Dorothy Njeuma, said despite the enormous challenges faced by the institution, it has succeeded in living up to its vision. In this light, she expressed the desire to see UB remain a pacesetter in higher education. 

“I would expect UB to continue to be a pacesetter in the higher education landscape in Cameroon and remain a university of excellence and quality not only in Cameroon but in the world,” Prof Njeuma said.

The future is bright for UB

Analysing the path the institution has covered in 30 years, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Ngomo Horace, said the institution would continue improving on curriculum, expanding the courses offered as time and the economic landscape keep changing.

“In the next 5-10 years, we think the university will contribute more because UB is an institution which adjusts its programmes and adapts to the changing educational landscape. We keep a trend with new knowledge in our environment through research and continuous training,” he said.

To ensure a bright future for the institution, the VC urged the alumni to be more engaged in developing the institution by giving back freely and generously. 

“The alumni should be more engaged in the development of their alma mater, because they are stakeholders in ensuring that the kind of skills that were bequeathed to them should be a lot of those who graduate here year in and year out by giving back. They should give back to their alma mater freely,” he said. 

UB alumni ready to live up to expectations

Addressing stakeholders on the final day of the Pearl Anniversary celebration, the president of the University of Buea Alumni, Prof Michael Fossung, promised that the alumni would get more involved in developing their alma mater. 

He revealed that the alumni had projects in the pipeline to rehabilitate some existing infrastructure in the institution. 

It should be recalled that the University of Buea officially opened its doors in 1993 with 783 students in three faculties; Arts, Science and Social and Management Sciences. 

The institution currently has 11 establishments, churning out thousands of students every year with Bachelor, Masters and PhD degrees in varied disciplines. 

It has a student population in tens of thousands with alumni serving in high-ranking positions like Prof Eneke Bechem, current Registrar and Prof Kingsley Ngange, Deputy Vice-Chancellor in-charge of Research, Corporation and Relations with the Business World.