C.C.U - CAMEROON CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY

The quest for knowledge remains the most profound and noblest desire man can persue. Being one of the chapions in the provision of education to Cameroonians, the PCC is once again called to duty to spread its tentacles in the area of Higher Education more than ever before through the creation of a Christian University in Cameroon. On her part, the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon believes that it is time for such inovation to take place. In the words of the Rt. Rev. Dr. Nyansako-ni-Nku, current Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, he says:

... We believe that the core values of the Christian faith are essential ingredients that can play a fundamental role in character formation and eventually lead to social transformation.

Through the years, there have been persistent calls for the creation of such a University. Members of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), and the Bali Old Boys Association (BOBANS), ordinary Cameroonians, opinion leaders etc. at diferent times expressed the need for a University that would be inspired by strong Christian values. Disillusioned by the ambiguities of secular education, it is generally believed that such a university will make a difference, because it will recognize God as the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

It is our prayer that the Christian University will produce the much-needed genuine intellectual for our society. Thus, the University will promote the pursuit of excellence and the search for truth. To the genuine intellectual, knowledge is for the public good, and the glorification of God, in whom we move and have our being. Thus the proposed Christian Universuty will seek to create in the students, a life long desire for learning and an eternal love for service to humanity.The project offers all of us an opportunity to write our names in gold, as those who contributed their scarce resources to bequeath to posterity, a most valuable gift. We also solicit the kind and generous donations of friendly organizations and people of goodwill all over the world, who believe like we do, in the universality of education...

Mission Statement

The Cameroon Christian University will pursue unfettered knowledge through teaching and research and provide service to humanity predicated on the core values of the Christian faith. The University is committed to produce life-long learners equipped to face the chalenges of the present millenium by educational principles that underscore innovative thinking, problem-solving and efficiency.

Programmes of the University are driven by a commitment to quality,excellence, relevance and sustainability.

Graduates of the Cameroon Christian University are expected to be worthy in learning and character, therefore able to make a difference for the better in society in terms of dedication and probity.

Principles of accountability, efficiency and efficacy will underpin the governance of the University.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND RATIONALE

The Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC) believes that "the fear of the Lord is the begining of Wisdom". Consequently, in her evangelistic mission, the PCC gives pride of place to the education of the public. As far back as 1949, the PCC created the Cameroon Protestant College (CPC) in Bali, which over the years has trained generations of Cameroonian leaders and intellectuals. Currently, the Church owns twenty-three (23) Nursery schools, one hundred and twenty-two (122) Primary schools, fourteen (14) secondary schools, one (1) teachers Training College, and one (1) Theological Seminary.The PCC is a stakeholder of the Faculty of Pretestant Theology in Yaounde.

Graduates of PCC schools have emerged as leaders and intelectuals who in the practice of the various professions have continued to reflect the virtues of the Christian gospel, thereby strengthening the church. In the third millenium where knowledge has become a determining factor for socio-economic growth, the PCC cannot be satisfied with its involvement in primary and secondary education alone, but must move on to higher education, the main seat of innovation. Cognizant of the imperitives posedby the Knowledge-Society and responding to the request of the Bali Old Boys Association (which groups the alumni of CPC) the Moderator of the PCC the Rt. Rev. Dr. Nyansako-nu-Nku declared during the celebration of the centenary anniversary of the PCC's autonomy in Bali that the PCC was going to create a University at CPC. Subsequently, the Synod of PCC confirmed this declaration by setting up a "Committee for the Establishment of a Presbyterian University" to reflect on the ways and means of realizing the University project.

One of the major impediments to the socio-economic development of African coutries, including Cameroon is corruption, whose roots have deepened in recent years with increasing globalization and secularization. It has been recognized that education without morality cannot produce the agents of change that are needed to transform our societies to greater atainments in material well-being, democracy and social cohesion.

In Cameroon the concept of the separation of the state and church has led to the exclusion of religious studies in all state schools and Universities. This means that a crop of our citizens will not be exposed to the moral issues which the gospel expounds as they make the critical transition from adolescence to adult-hood. Clearly the church's commitment to spread the gospel to all justifies its engagement in education at all levels. The Cameroon Christian University will address the felt-need for university education with a moral core to produce enlightened Christain Graduates who through their lives and work will bear witnesses to the gospel wherever they may be.

Although public and secular private institutions of higher eduaction abound (6 state universities, 2 confessional universities, 33 private higher institutions of higher learning in 2006) they do not cover all the disciplines that many young Cameroonians travel abroad for, nor do they lay enough emphasis on the application of knowledge to seek solutions to our practical problems. The few profession schools that exist are highly selective with limmitted enrolments. for example, the lone Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences admits onlyabout 80 trainees into medicine per annum out of about 3000 qualified candidates. For Cameroon, a country of about 16 million inhabitants the United Nations Millenium Development Goals require the training of about 475 doctors annually in the next twenty years to meet with the health needs of the population. Similarly, the enrolments at the School of Engineering are highly restricted. Even programmes in the highly sought after social sciences like Management, Business Administration, Accountancy, Banking and Finance do not have enough openings for all those who would like to study them. The Cameroon Christian University will target these disciplines that are inadequately represented in public institutions, but which directly lead to the world of work without neglecting, however, relevant disciplines of Humanities, Information Science and Technology.

Althought the Cameroon Christian Univeersity will fundamentally exist to provide a public service in witness of the transforming mission of Christian faith, it will also be able to generate sifficient income to sustain itself as a non-profit-making organization. Based on what has been stated above there are both moral, and socio-economic reasons for the creation of the CCU. The University proposes to train graduates who will make a difference in national development endeavours by their moral probity and dedication to work.

The present project proposal articulates the Rationale, Objectives, Work Plan, and Budget of the University project.

The in formation you have just read is not a manifesto or statute of the University. Rather, it is a general information on the process, which should lead to the establishment of the University.

OBJECTIVES

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Benefitiaries

All persons who qualify to follow university eduation will be eligible to study at the CCU. There shall, therefore, be no discrimination on account of sex, religion, race, tribe, or ethnic group.Many Cameroonians would like their children to study in Christian establishments. This is borne out by the high enrolments in desnominational secondary schools despite the relatively high fees charged.

Strategy: Development vision of projected schools

It is envisage that the university will start with disciplines that are useful, imprtant and less demanding in terms of resources along with professional disciplines that will satisfy job-market needs as well as provide income for some of the essential running cost. In this respect, the university in its first phase of development will comprise four Schools (or Faculties) as follows:

Phase i

1. School of Philosophy, Religious Studies and Theology (SOPRET)br/>A consolidation and expansion of the activities of the Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Kumba, which becomes a school (or Faculty) of the University is envisaged.
2. School of Science and Medical Science (SOSMES). The school is actually two schools (School of Fundamental Sciences (SOFS) ans School of Medicine and Health Sciences) put together in the first phase as one school for convenience and for reasons of cost saving in overhead charges of running two faculties with few students from the onset. It is understood the two will split as autonomous faculties or schools when programmes are sufficiently developed.

   The courses envisaged in this school make room for both degree and diploma programmes in areas most needed by job market surveys. See List

3. School of Engineering and Technology (SET). This school will offer both degree and diploma programmes in the engineering and technology sectors such as:
   • Ordinary National Diploma and
   • Higher National Diploma (BTS) level. See List
4. School of Arts, Social and Management Sciences (SASMAS). Basic Arts and Social Science degree programmes will be covered including business management programmes as well as Journalism and Mass Communication. The School will be split with subsequent developments. See List

Phase ii

Phase two involves the consolidation of the four schools of phase 1 and the introduction of a SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, PHARMACY AND HEALTH SCIENCES (SMEPHS) after adequate academic, professional and financial preparations, given that the school is resource demanding. This will lead to the autonomy of the school of Fundamental Sciences (SOFS) as a separate school or faculty.

Phase iii

In addition to the five schools of Phase II, the SCHOOL OF AGRONOMY AND VETERINARY MEDICINE (SAVEM) will come into effect at this time. If need be, schools in phases II and III could be interchanged with no significant consequences; i.e. SAVEM can be started before SMEPHS if it is more practicable and feasible to do so.

Phase iv

This phase encodes the split of the School of Arts and Social Sciences (SASS) and the School of Business and Management Sciences (SOBMAS) with Journalism and Mass Communication based in the latter to be split later (in phase v). This phase (i.e. the split) is conceptual and notional but in practice can take place earlier, concomitantly with the introduction of the other schools if conditions for the introduction of the other schools if conditions for the split are satisfied and other relevant requirements met.

Phase v

This phase encodes the possibility of adding any number of Schools as deemed necessary (e.g Journalism and Mass Communication, Education etc.) or further effecting a split of schools that might have become too large (e.g separating Pharmacy and Health Sciences from Medicine, or Arts from Social Sciences etc.).

The Diagrammatic projection of the CCU vission is presented bellow. You can also follow the suggested Tentative Degree and Diploma Programmes outlined on our programme listingNote however, that modifications are expected in due course with a judicious consideration of relevant vaiables.

KEY SECTORAL POLICIES

There is a broad consensus at the international, regional and national levels that a vibrant higher education sector is an indispensable enabling factor for the socio-economic development of the African continent as a whole, as well as for poverty reduction in individual African countries. This view is recurrent in a variety of policy instruments of authoritative organizations, some of which are cited herein.

International and regional policies
In 1999 the World Conference on science that was organized in Budapest under the auspices of the UNESCO and the International Council for Science (ICSU) recognizing and recommending the development of science in LL Ntions, in itsResolution No 34 stated:

"Progress in science makes the role of universities particularly important in the promotion and modernization of science teaching and its coordination at all levels of education. In all countries and in particular developing countries there is a need to strengthen scienctific research in higher education, including post graduate programmes, taking into account national priorities".¹

Thus the expansion of higher education particularly in scientific and technical disciplines is believed to correlate well with the developmental status of countries. As indicated in a recent World Bank sstudy, in the OECD countries, which group the top 28 economically advanced coutries, higher education enrolments stood at 61% of eligible candidates in contrast to 21% and 6% respectively for medium income and development countries²

Regional policy instruments in Africa have recognized and called for a revitalization of African Universities. NEPAD, the New African Partnership for Africa's Development (which is an arm of the African Union) has identified capacity building as a key element in its developmental strategy. Not only is there a call for the creation of centres of excelence in scientific and technical disciplines, but also a drive to inculcate the culture of peace and good governance, which underscore the need for the growth of the humanities in African universities as well.

Recently, the Commission for Africa that was initiated by British Prime Minister - Tony Blair, published an action plan for a strong and prosperous Africa entitled "Our Common Interest". Recognizing the key role of high quality labour force in all development efforts, the Commission for Africa calls for a massive infusion of2.5 billion USD to revitalize African universities and create centers for excellence to address priority questions of relevance to Africa's renaissance. The Commission's recommendation tacitly underscores the lamentable state of African universities, which are under-funded, under-staffed, poorly equipped and for the most partpoorly managed. The need for a new type of university that is predicated on relevance, efficiency and high moral values is clearly indicated. The Cameroon Christian University aspires to respond to this need.

The Church's Policy
A text entitled African Independence Christian Freedom with the Sub-title of "Education for Independence" opens up by stating that the new nations of Africa are looking for ways of making progress.Then it poses the question: What does all this mean in terms of education and the growth of children in this country? In response it states that firstly, there should be the acceptance that education concerns the whole of life. Furthermore, that man must progress towards the source of life (God), and education must equip him to make this progress.This implies that educators must accept the importance of religion in the growth of children.

The Cameroon Goverment Policies
Over the years the Cameroon government has layed great emphasis on the education sector, by allocating it the highest fraction of the national budget. A particular emphasis has been placed on the higher education sector, which was reformed in 1993 by a series of degcrees that created six new universities and called for closer linkage between university training and the world of work.

Government policies recognize and encourage the participation of religious bodies in the training of Cameroonian youths. In fact law No.2001/005 of 16^th April 2001 on the Orientation of Higher Education and Decree No.2001/832/PM pf 19^th September 2001 on Private higher education like the envisaged Cameroon Christian University. Not only do the laws of Cameroon allow for the creation of private universities, they provide a framework for mentoring and quality assurance of the young institutions in order to ensure high standards.