Some 20 trainees of the pioneer Cameroon Online Educators Fellowship programme have completed their training, with a graduation ceremony which held recently online.
The Cameroon Online Educators Fellowship programme is a University e-learning capacity building initiative by the College of Nursing and Health Professions Drexel University PA-USA and Biaka University Institute of Buea, BUIB, with research support from Health Research Foundation Buea (HRF) and funding from the US Embassy Yaoundé.
The programme sponsored the training of some 20 lecturers and administrators drawn from nine higher institutions in Cameroon.
Before completing the programme, all fellows had undertaken 8weeks of intensive training in online teaching, course design and the development of online education policy.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony, the Project Team Representative Dr. Maboh Michel Mkwati who is Deputy Vice Chancellor for Innovation, Cooperation and International Collaboration at BUIB, thanked Drexel University in his opening remarks, for leading the training through their partnership with BUIB.
He assured all present at the online graduation ceremony that the fellows did not only have to attend a series of workshops, but had to meet specific requirements which involved completing several e-learning tasks and other activities to be eligible for graduation.
Dr. Maboh expressed the need for the training to continue, until a critical mass of E-learning experts would have been trained across the country. He also expressed gratitude to the sponsor, Health Research Foundation Buea, (HRF) and the institutions that nominated their staff for training.
On her part, the Public Affairs Officer at the U.S Embassy Yaoundé, Leanne Cannon said the importance of the programme cannot be overemphasized, as it falls squarely in line with the U.S government’s initiative to support development in Cameroon. She explained that the need for the e-learning intervention was made more acute by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, the Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions Drexel University, Professor Gitlin, congratulated the project team and the graduates for the great achievement. She highlighted that their partnership with the Biaka University Institute Buea (BUIB) made it possible for the project team to come together to accomplish such an important task critical to higher education development in Cameroon.
Professor Gitlin recognized the efforts of all the stakeholders who had contributed to the programme’s success and looked forward to more productive collaborations in the future.
During her remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of the Biaka University Institute of Buea, Dr. Francisca Biaka, congratulated the graduates for successfully completing the rigorous training programme. She highlighted the necessity for higher institutions around the country to build the e-learning capacity to meet the current challenges in higher education.
Dr. Biaka expressed gratitude to the project team, the participating institutions and the funder, for making the project a reality.
Similarly, the Vice President of Health Research Foundation, Prof. Ndeso Atanga, congratulated the project team and the funding bodies, acknowledging that winning a grant and successfully implementing it are very different things.
Prof Ndeso added that one can comfortably say there are experts within our higher institutions who can effectively design and incorporate higher education into the curriculum. He urged the graduates to do just that.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating fellows, Dr. Veronica Ika Vesimih of BUIB and Mbonteh Beyrlynda Sengeh Ejed of the Higher Institute of Health and Management Studies Kumba, expressed heartfelt gratitude to their trainers and the project funder.
They shared their achievements and assured all present of the valuable skills and knowledge they had acquired and were already implementing at their various institutions.
In her closing remarks at the graduation ceremony, the lead facilitator, Dr. Frances Cornelius acknowledged the significant efforts of the participants towards their e-learning studies. She noted that this landmark achievement signifies hard work and the pursuit of knowledge that will enable the recipients to embrace opportunities and challenges with a clear vision and purpose.
The fellows will receive certificates of completion and become part of the new E-learning Community of Practice.