Higher Education: Soa University ranks first

Results of an independent project carried out by a private consulting firm were presented on February 2, 2016.

Amongst the State-owned Universities in the country, the University of Yaounde II, Soa has been ranked as the first public institution of higher learning in the country that provides quality professional training to its students. The revelation was made yesterday, February 2, 2016 during the presentation of a project carried out by a private consulting firm; Chaning Consulting and Services, on the “Independent Ranking of Institutions of Professional Learning” in the public and private sectors. The Universities of Dschang and Buea were second and third respectively. 

The ranking was based on the perception of users such as corporate executives, chiefs of services who do not only employ graduates from these institutions but also work with them on a daily basis.

Through a survey, some 1,773 operational managers from 1,090 private and public companies in all the ten regions of the country  answered questions on which institution offers the best training in various domains such as banking, Journalism, Medicine and Human Sciences, Human Resources, Secretariat, Language, Management, Law, Petroleum, Insurance, Public Works, Arts, Audio-Visual and Cinema, Education, Accounting and Environment.

The Director General of Chaning Consulting and Services, Charles Mboningn who is also the coordinator of the project said a research team of 79 experts worked to classify 264 professional institutions in 25 fields of studies.

The Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo said the initiative was laudable because the ranking of performance of graduate from institutions will not only urge schools to improve on their curricula, but also on their method of teaching. Jacques Fame Ndongo said such a project calls for competition amongst higher professional institutions    thereby ensuring quality training in relation with the job market.

A project like this, the Minister of Higher Education said, is important for the education system because it will promote excellence as prescribed by the Head of State. Although the project may call for criticism, especially as some private institutions rank above public institutions in certain domains, one of the experts of the project, Professor P. K. Titanji said it is a springboard of competition which will lead to efficiency.