Australia appoints pioneer Alumni Ambassador

Jean-Bertrand Atangana will promote and represent Australia in Cameroon, his home country, as well as strengthen its engagement with the alumni.

The Australian High Commissioner to Cameroon resident in Abuja, Nigeria, has announced the appointment of Jean-Bertrand Atangana as the first Alumni Ambassador to Cameroon by the Australian government.

According to a release sent to our newsroom, the Australian High Commissioner, His Excellency Jonathan Richardson, the appointment further strengthens close ties with Cameroonian alumni of Australian tertiary education institutions, following the launch of the Cameroon-Australia Alumni Association (CAM3A) in April, 2015.

Mr. Atangana, from Cameroon’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, was chosen to join Alumni Ambassadors from 13 other African countries in taking on the voluntary role for a one-year period beginning this July 2015, the release states.

As a former recipient of an “Australian Awards” professional development short course at the University of Sydney, Mr Atangana will assist with promoting and representing the Australia Awards; offer peer support to new awardees; share experiences about studying and living in Australia, and actively network with other alumni and stakeholders to encourage alumni to contribute to the development of Cameroon upon their return.

Atangana, the release adds, will be a driver and leader of change not only in his field but across Cameroon, making most of his experience, knowledge and skills gained in Australia.

Since 2010, a total of 77 Cameroonians have benefitted from the Australia Awards, which includes both Masters-level scholarships and professional development short courses of up to three months. “It is my hope that even greater number of Cameroonians choose to study in Australia in the future to further strengthen the ties between both countries,” the High Commissioner is quoted in the release.