The 2023 graduates of the Catholic University Institute of Buea, CUIB, have been charged to build circle or network as value chain and carry out background checks while demonstrating great character and skill. This call was made by Dr. Daniel Ekongwe, keynote address speaker during the 10th Commencement of CUIB in the Buea Campus. The Inspector General In Charge of International Cooperation, Publication and Academics at PAID International Executive Office General Secretariat, Yaounde, Cameroon, centered his address on the theme “The Spirit of Excellence as the force that drives the mindset of entrepreneurial growth today”.

The multilingual diplomat and scholar who seamlessly bridges cultural divides, challenged the over 290 graduates to develop personal brand like Steve Jobs of Apple, know and develop their audience as branding is the great equalizer. He went further stressing on the fact that when entrepreneurs are in a survival mode, the successful ones figure out very quickly, what works and what doesn’t work and then pivot from doing what doesn’t work to what works. He urged them to be successful entrepreneurs who would make constant course corrections during their entrepreneurial journey in the pursuit of their dreams and goals.

The prolific author and scholar, Dr. Ekongwe who has 14 publications, urged the graduates to place importance on accountability, emotional intimacy, and emotional intelligence, personal growth, expending network and quality friends. The visionary scholar would in the course of his presentation, called on all graduates to stay positive as negativity blocks the brain and shuts down the logical/analytical centers of the brain.