Sustainable Development Symposium

Outcomes

  • Discussed the relationship between African higher education in sustainable community development;
  • Discussed strategies that motivate African higher education institutions into actions that engage them with the community development activities;
  • Discussed the African University educational model
  • Strengthened the constituency for African University in Cameroon in general and Tali community area in particular
  • Recommended strategies to advance African University
  • Disseminated the proceedings of the symposium through venues such as the African University Foundation and Harrison & Moberly web sites as well as the Eden Newspaper and Spectrum Television in Cameroon.

    Focus groups recommended that community development efforts of African University in Tali, Cameroon focus in rank-order on the following programmatic areas:
    Rank
    Community Developement Program
    1 Health training/facility
    2 Agriculture/agribusiness/forestry/environment training/facility
    3 Business/microfinance
    4 Water
    5 Community development/cultural activities/groups
    6 Education/adult literacy
    7 Engineering/technology training
    8 Electricity
    9 Roads
    10 Women empowerment
    11 Communications center

    Focus groups recommended that academic development efforts of African University in Tali, Cameroon focus in rank-order on the following colleges:
    Rank
    College
    1 Agriculture
    2 Health sciences
    3 Business and Management
    4 Engineering and Technology
    5 Education
    6 Architecture
    7 Law


Symposium Quotes

"If Africa is to fulfill its potential, it must shift its place from one of dependency on foreign aid to one of self-sufficiency through industry, enterprise and trade with itself in particular and the world in general. Africa will be percieved to be of strategic importance to global affairs when it brings about this change. African institutions of higher education can play a critical role in catalyzing this kind of shift."
- William Agbor Baiyee, Ph.D., Director, Master of Science in Medical Science Program, Indiana University School of Medicine and Chairman, African University Foundation

"The first generation of post-independence African universities focused on nation building with emphasis on providing functionaries for the civil service. Today, African countries are facing challenges related to participation in the global economy, meeting basic needs, and contributing to the transition to sustainability. These require increased investment in generation, adapting and diffusing available technical knowledge to local uses. Africa must change the way that its universities operate. First, countries will need to consider universities as productive entities (i.e. as incubators of new enterprises), and not simply as producers of a trained workforce. Secondly, universities and other technical institutes must integrate with their communities."
- Orock Thomas Eyong, Regional Chief of Service for Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Programs, Buea, South West Region, Cameroon

"African University should be able in our view train our youths to be immediately useful to society by being instruments of the development of the community."
- His Excellency Enow Tanjong, Retired Governor of the South West Region and North West Region of Cameroon and Chairman, African University Foundation, Cameroon

"Our lengthy discussions during our most exhilarating trek to and from the proposed site of the University and what I discovered at the Symposium leave no doubt whatsoever in my mind that we have before unfolding in Tali a unique journey to create a unique University in Tali for Cameroon, Africa and the World."
- His Excellency Martin Baiyee Arikai Tanyitiku, Retired Governor of the Eastern Region of Cameroon

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