Education in Cameroon - Higher Education

Higher Education

Although Cameroon boasts a sprawling cache of junior academic institutions of excellence, higher institutions are rather insufficient. There are eight state-run universities in Buea, Bamenda, Douala, Yaounde I & II, Dschang, Maroua and Ngaoundere. There is a handful of thriving private universities such as the Bamenda University of Science and Technology (BUST), International University, Bamenda and the Fotso Victor University in the west province.

The University of Buea was the only Anglo-Saxon style university; but presently with the establishment of the University of Bamenda which went operational in 2011, Cameroon has two English Universities. The rest of Cameroon's six state-managed universities are run on the francophonie model, although in principle, they are considered to be bilingual institutions. Cameroon's universities are strictly managed by the central government, with the pro-chancellors and rectors appointed by presidential decree. The minister of higher education is the chancellor of all Cameroon's state universities.

Compared with neighbouring countries, Cameroon generally enjoys stable academic calendars. In all, Cameroon's higher education has been a success since independence, with thousands of its graduates mostly consumed by the national public service. Since the 1990s, with economic crises, a new trend has been for hundreds of university graduates leaving the country for greener pastures in Western countries. The government is doing little or nothing to curb this brain drain.

Nonetheless, an emerging number of private higher technical institutions of learnng like the Nacho university, Fonab Polythenic, and many others are beginning to reshape the predominantly general style of education that for over three decades has been the turf of most anglophone students in Cameroon.

Universities in Cameroon include:

• Bamenda University of Science & Technology
• International University, Bamenda
• University of Buea
• University of Bamenda
• University of Douala
• University of Dschang
• University of Ngaoundere
• University of Maroua
• University of Bamenda
• University Institute of the Diocese of Buea (two campuses)
• University of Yaounde (two campuses)
• Catholic University of Central Africa (Yaounde)
• The International Relations Institute of Cameroon - IRIC (yaounde)
• St. Thomas Aquinas Regional Major Seminary (Bambui)
• Siantou and Ndi Samba Schools of Higher Learning (Yaounde)
• Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda (Bamenda)
• Highlands University (P)