UNIVERSITY OF BAMENDA BRANDISHES ITS NEW MBA PROGRAMME

By Tikum Mbah Azonga

The University of Bamenda is in many ways, a university with a
difference. There are several reasons for that assertion. Firstly, it
is the latest of Cameroon`s eight state universities. In fact the
Minister of Higher Education, Prof. Jacques Fame Ndongo, has styled it
« the university of the future ». Not surprisingly, that is a
designation which the institution`s pioneer Vice Chancellor, Prof.
Tafah Edokat, has reiterated each time he has the opportunity.

UBa, as the university has come to be fondly referred to has made a
name for itself through the very diverse and professional fields of
study it offers Cameroonians. Not long ago, the university showcased
one aspect of its multi-facetted endowments. That is the MBA programme
which has been running for some time now. The programme which is
actually not just an MBA but is called an « Executive MBA » is run by
the  Higher Institute of Commerce and Management (HICM).

According to Prof. Egbe Ebai John who is the institute`s director, the
Executive MBA programme is an innovation with the University of
Bamenda being the only one offering it in Africa. It was conceived in
Canada some years ago with Prof. Egbe Ebai John as one of its founder
members and conceptors.

The programme lasts two years and attracts mainly working class
executives. Working and busy students find it convenient because it is
run in the eveenings. Furthermore, courses are tailor-made. They
include financial management, reforms, budgetary control,
entrepreneurship, small and medium-sized enterprise management,
leadership and decision making. Other offers include managerial
economics, the international business environment, business ethics and
law, as well as auditing, to name those.

At the end of the training, students are expected to have acquired
knowledge and developed know-how as well as attitudes such as
mannerisms that will enable them to be more efficient and effective in
the performance of their tasks.

The programme comprises twenty courses, including end-of-course
theses. The methodology used is known as « andragogy », which the
institute`s director  describes as being based on adult training. It
involves the use of accumulated experience of learners while taking
into account the evolution of managerial thought and administrative
techniques.

A hands-on approach is adopted at the end of the course with students
made to work in small groups, after which they do a public
presentation. The first presentation took place at the Bijung Guest
House which is jointly used as an external resource centre by the
Higher Instituite of Commerce and Manangement (HICM) and the Higher
Teachers` Training College (HTTC). During that inaugural presentation,
a course that had previously been taught was retaught for the sake of
reinforcem,ent. It was `Executive Reforms Strategic Development` with
emphasis on `The manager`s Tools`.

On hand to conduct evaluation was a jury comprising the Director of
the institution accompanied by Dr. Ndam Mama from the University of
Buea, and Dr. Nixon Takor from the University of Bamenda. At the end
of the two-day event, jury members agreed that students`s work had
been deep and rich. The jury  nonetheless gave the students guidelines
on how to tidy the loose ends.

Students came from a wide range of backgrounds. These included banking
and finance, industry, secondary education, higher education,
administration and the buisiness world.

There is no doubt that this new programme at the University of Bamenda
is proving to be successful. The only likely problem is that it may
become so popular that the institution is not able to handle the large
number of students knocking at its door.