Walter Wilson Nana
Buea, Cameroon
The Catholic University Institute of Buea, CUIB and the leading soft drink company in Cameroon, Source Du Pays have signed an MOU. The partnership agreement was the highpoint of the opening ceremony of the second edition of the CUIB Entrepreneurial and Academic fair that is due to run from January 30 to February 16 2014 at the EoC Village of the CUIB Molyko Campus.
Patricia Fodzo of Source Du Pays(L) & Fr. Nkeze of CUIB sign MOU
The CUIB and Source Du Pays MOU will provide learning, workshop and internship opportunities for the students of the former by the management of the latter. Patricia Yonn Lissom Fodzo, Associate Director of Marketing and Communication, Source Du Pays will reinforce their stance; “Our company is interested to invest in the educational development of Cameroonian youths. We have elaborated a plan to get down to some schools across Cameroon and we are proud to be a partner in the educational
Administrative, senior officials of CUIB and Source Du Pays at the signing ceremony of the MOU
strive of Cameroon,” she said.
A delighted CUIB President, Rev.Fr George Jingwa Nkeze mentioned that Source Du Pays is a company that is not only taking from Cameroon but they are also giving abundantly. He pledged to move on with Source Du Pays, adding that their initiative is to create contacts, partnership with progressive industrial and business organisations, who share the mission of the university. He will indicate that it is a platform for the different
L-R the panellists - Prof John Abraham, Prof Ernest Molua & Roland Kwemain at the opening ceremony of the CUIB Fair
schools and students of CUIB to bring to the fore their academic, entrepreneurial and professional projects.
Earlier, some academic and business experts had an insightful discourse on the theme; Realising Vision 2035 – The Way Forward For Cameroon. University of Buea’s Associate Professor of Agric-Economics, Ernest Lytia Molua, talking on The Role of Higher Educationsaid it is a challenge for all to build Cameroon, whether we shall be there in the future to see it or not. He said learning, teaching
The opening ceremony of the CUIB Entrepreneurial & Academic Fair was a crowdpuller
and motivation are paramount for Cameroon’s growth, noting that the teaching spirit in Cameroon must evolve so as to transform the individual.
The varsity don will indicate that the teacher must be on a continuous reflection and research of his her vocation.
Inspirational Speaker and CEO of Go Ahead Africa, Roland Kwemain on The Attitude We Need To Get There, said the Cameroonian public should take ownership of the emergence of the country. “We have to be involved, create strategies to forge ahead, make available opportunities for evaluation and have inspirational leaders to spur the youths,” he mentioned.
Prof. John Abraham from the St. Thomas University, Minessota, USA, partner university to CUIB said sustainable energy is part of the huge package of Cameroon’s economic development. He entreated teachers across Cameroon to not only teach but they should create knowledge.
While addressing CUIB’s gratitude to the panellists, Fr. Nkeze invited his students and graduates to be sensitive to the needs of man around them. He will add; “Education must be that of real life and move out of the four walls of the classrooms. We must meet the demands of an emerging economy by having students who are creative and value-oriented.”
CUIB’s Director of the Centre for Entrepreneurship, Research and Innovation, CERI, Tedd Eyong said the Entrepreneurial and Academic Fair is for them a leeway to present their activities, programmes and vision. “We want to give our students a sense of purpose and direction,” he added.
Secretary General in the Southwest Governor’s office, Clement Fon Ndikum said CUIB and President Paul Biya have similar vision of Cameroon’s emergence, which he prayed should be fulfilled with Cameroonians who are morally, spiritually and psychologically upright.
Frank Sadat, a student of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, CUIB found the initiative of the entrepreneurial and academic fair laudable. “These are opportunities for us to be job creators, which is the spirit of the university. The trend towards job creation is that of Cameroon’s emergence too. I am learning from the entrepreneurial skills of the companies that have stands in this fair and it is inspiring.”
