CUIB 2020/2021 Academic Boot Camp ends with many achievements on both campuses.
Senior year students of the Catholic
University Institute of Buea, on Sunday 25th April 2021 ended a
three-day boot camp which took place at the main campus in Molyko-Buea.
The theme of this year’s boot camp was “Creativity and Innovation as Building blocks for Entrepreneurship” with the main objective
to see the ability of the students in bringing up business ideas and
solutions to problems that will transform our society.
The three day event was very interactive with the
senior year students exhibiting ground breaking ideas and competing with
each other for the best idea to be selected that will help in job
creation.
The opening ceremony of the three-day boot camp in the
Buea Campus was done by the Provost (Chief Academic Officer) of the
institution Dr. Asobo Napoleon, alongside the President Prof. Victor
Julius Ngoh during which the provost welcomed all present and encouraged
the students to take the exercise seriously because of the impact the
activity is going to have in their career.
Professor Ngoh articulated the importance of the boot
camp to the students and the university community as a whole, stating
that the university will continue to support the students in any way
they can to enable them achieve their dreams as entrepreneurs.
“The ultimate goal of this boot camp is
for you to put into practice all the professional skills, hands on
skills which you have developed, therefore , translate your ideas,
translate your dreams into action. We do expect a lot from you. This
having been said, I now declare the 2020/2021 boot camp open,” Professor Ngoh told the students during the opening ceremony.
This year’s boot camp had as coaches Mr Laye Mbunkur,
Mme Martha Ngum, Mr George Mofor who drilled the senior year students on
how to effectively pitch a business idea in under 60 seconds, develop a
sustainable business plan in an ever changing landscape, to market a
business plan and above all overcoming challenges in the business world.
During this event, the students also had the
opportunity to present their business plans and network with each
other. At the end of the Business Plan Challenge, students with the most
feasible business ideas were awarded prizes.
On the last day of the boot camp, the students
presented their business ideas to the President Professor Victor Julius
Ngoh and a host of stakeholders who came to experience the event. Prof
Ngoh while visiting the business stands asked questions to the students
on how sustainable their business plan is, looking at the current
landscape?
The students explained that their business plan is
problem solving and will address some of the UN sustainable development
goals. Prof Ngoh was happy with the presentation of the students and
enjoined them to continue with the good work and make CUIB proud
wherever they may go.
The students who also participated in the book camp
were all handed a certificate of participation to show that they have
been trained on developing a sustainable business plan.
The Director of CERI Mr. Eyong Eyong Thaddeus, also
used the boot camp to train the students on developing a positive and
friendly mindset that will enable them to network and easily interact
with people who may not share their views in their community.
In line with mindset training, Mr. Eyong Eyong Thaddeus
organised physical exercises such as dancing, stretching, singing
amongst others.
CUIB being a university that trains job creators also
uses the boot camp to empower the students who have business ideas with
skills that will enable them to work with people of different belief
systems, attitude and mindset, reasons why the students are made to work
in teams during the boot camp exercises.
At the closing ceremony in the Buea Campus, the
president expressed gratitude to the CERI office to have organised such a
successful boot camp and also reminded the students that they now have
what it takes to transform the world and to make CUIB proud.
A similar event took place in the Douala Campus from
April 16th -18th 2021. The opening ceremony was presided over by the
Executive Vice President Dr. Eric Ngangoum, accompanied by the Vice
Provost Dr. Mokom Felicitas, Dr. Djikeng Fabrice Director of Douala
Campus and alongside some faculty and staff members.
The Douala students had the opportunity to present
their business ideas to the university officials and were told to seize
the opportunity to network with other students and come up with
businesses that will create jobs for Cameroonians.
The event in Douala was concluded by the Director of
Douala campus who appreciated the organisation of the boot camp and
reminded the students that they should not take such knowledge and sit
on it.
