THE UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA BRANDISHES A UNIQUE MBA PROGRAMME

THE UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA BRANDISHES  A UNIQUE MBA PROGRAMME

The University of Bamenda (UBa) is in many ways, a university with a difference. One of them is that that UBa is the latest university to be set up by the State of Cameroon.

The minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, calls it “the University of the Future’. The  same designation is used by the University`s pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tafah Edokat, each time he has the opportunity.

UBa has very diverse fields of study. Recently, for instance, it showcased another aspect of its multi-faceted endowments. This is the Executive MBA programme. The programme is run by the Higher Institute of Commerce and Management (HICM).

According to Prof. Egbe Ebai John, director of the Institute, the programme is an innovative and practical venture which is being offered only  at the University of Bamenda in the whole of Africa. It was conceived in Canada some years ago with Prof. Egbe Ebai as one of its initiators.

The course lasts for two years. It is so designed that classes are offered in the evening in order to give working students enough time. The course menu is tailor-made to suit the needs of students. Content includes financial management, reforms, budgetary control, entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprise management, and leadership and decision making. Others are managerial economics, the international business environment, business ethics and law, as well as auditing, to name some.

The programme comprises a total of 20 courses including the end-of-course thesis. The methodology is “andragogy” which the Institute’s director described as being adult-ariented. It involves the use of accumulated experience, while taking into account the evolution of managerial thought and administrative techniques.

In the end, students do a presentation. The first of such presentations took place recently. I witnessed the teaching of the course, “Executive Reforms Strategic Development”, with emphasis on The Manger`s Tools.  

On hand to conduct evaluation was a four-strong team comprising the Director of HICM, Dr. Ndam Mama from the University of Ngaoundere, Dr. Nkengla John from the University of Buea, and Dr. Nixon Takor of the University of Bamenda. The jury agreed that the students` work had been deep and rich. The jury however gave the students guidelines on how to tidy up the loose ends.

Participants came from a wide range of backgrounds. These included Doh Relindis who is a cash teller with a bank; Zamchang Marie Diane,  branch manager of a media firm; Humphrey Tigha;  a history teacher at the Government Bilingual High School in Bafoussam, as well as Metuge Samuel, a businessman and an NGO Executive.

Interestingly, the Executive MBA programme has equally generated interest from within UBa itself. Already, four staff members of the university are on it: Wanka Rachel, an administrative Assistant at HICM; Ekiengi Tafah who works at the accounting office; Akeme Elvis, an Administrative Assistant in the Vice Chancellor`s Office; and Dr. Fokunang Charles, Vice Dean in the Faculty of Science.

Surely, the new programme is proving to be successful. The only likely problem is that it may become so popular that the institution may not be able to handle the large number of students knocking at its door.

FOOTNOTE

This paper was broadcast on the 5^th of August  2013, on  FOUNDATION RADIO, The Voice of the Voiceless, FM 100, Mile 6, Ngomgham-Mankon, North West Region, Republic of Cameroon.