By Walter Wilson Nana
A senior official of the Brandenburg University of Technology, BTU, Cottbus, Germany, Prof. Michael Schmidt has said their cooperation with the University of Buea, UB, is living.
Addressing UB officials and students from the Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science during a UB and BTU Second Scientific workshop on the theme: “High Conservation Value & Voluntary Sustainability Standards Tools In Forests Conservation & Management,” Schmidt said BTU is working hard to ensure that students exchange programmes for both universities continue to move on smoothly in the undergraduate, Masters and PhD levels. “We’re interested in taking our students for a semester abroad and establishing more courses for them. At BTU, we’re coming up with a new programme on Green Curriculum and so we will be glad to extend it to UB,” he said.
Prof. Michael Schmidt of BTU explaining the goodness of their relationship with UB
Schmidt said the German people and government have adopted a policy to make one-third of Germany woodland, hence there is need to build capacity in that area and make it sustainable.
The German scholar expressed worry that the Kyoto Protocol is running out by 2012, without working out as expected, “Therefore, there is need to craft new ideas on high conservation values, voluntary sustainability, forest conservation and management within the varsity milieu,” he added.
On her part, the UB Vice Chancellor, Dr. Nalova Lyonga found goodness in the UB and BTU relationship that started in 2010, saying her institution has been enjoying great collaboration. She will add; “We look forward to greater developments between UB and BTU. Currently, we’re making strides in exchange programmes and activities.”
The UB VC took a commitment to transform words into actions and policies into sustainable actions so that more conferences, workshops, staff and students exchanges between UB and BTU will be a regular affair.
Prof. Nzumbe Ntoko of UB (R) & Prof. Eike Albrecht of BTU at the workshop
She expressed happiness that UB is spearheading the discussions for forest conservation. “We are aware of our greenness and we wish to keep it that way. We join our voices for the relevance of capacity building in forest and environmental sustainability. Forest conservation is a concern for today and tomorrow,” she said.
Nalova Lyonga entreated Cameroonians to talk environmental sustainability everywhere they find themselves.
According to the varsity don, the nexus between the forest and the African has always been there, “So, we must learn to conserve and protect it,” she noted.
UB & BTU officials taking down pertinent notes at the workshop
A representative of the international NGO on forest and environmental protection, conservation, PROFOREST, Elie Hakizumwami hailed Cameroon for putting in place laws that support forest and environmental sustainability but he will add that it is now time to build the capacity of citizens in that area.
To him, much is been done on the field by the local people on sustainability, however, this is the opportunity for it to be introduced in the educational levels, the universities not left out.
For three days, participants discussed amongst other issues; Forest Law Enforcement, Governance & Trade, Introduction to the High Conservation Value Concept, What makes a Forest Exceptionally Valuable, The Six High Conservation Value and Managing High Conservation Values.
