THE PROGRAM IN CAMEROON:
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION FOR PROSPECTIVE FACULTY
 

The Kentucky Institute for International Studies program in Cameroon, titled “African Cultures: History, Continuity, and Change,” runs for five-weeks, from the end of May through the first week of July and offers a unique opportunity to travel and teach in Cameroon, one of Africa’s most diverse countries. The program is based at the University of Dschang. Dschang is the former regional capital of West Cameroon created by the Germans and is located in the West Province.  It has a mild climate; hence, the Germans built a holiday resort in the early 1900s called “Centre Climatique,” which served as a refuge from the heat and high temperatures of the coastal areas.

The Cameroon program seeks to familiarize students with Cameroon as well as offer students a comprehensive exposure to the historical, social, political, artistic, and economic trends of Africa; it is a study of pan-African issues in all areas of civilization and is, therefore, relevant for broadening the student’s perspective. The study of Africa’s cultures in this context will also provide students with a means of taking a more realistic and more comprehensive view of other cultures, Western and non‑Western.

Dschang constitutes an ideal setting for a program on Cameroonian/African cultures. While the cultural milieu adds to the course content by helping students to “experience” Cameroon/Africa, the university infrastructure facilitates delivery of the academic component. The population of Dschang is about 200,000, and agriculture and commence are the main economic activities of the town. The university is a comprehensive institution with a student population of 12,000 and 5 academic faculties on the main campus: Economics and Management, Law and Political Sciences, Arts and Human Sciences, Science, and Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences.

The program focus is broad enough to encompass courses in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Course offerings can logically include any of the following: African literature, history, politics, economics, business, art, folklore, anthropology, sociology, as well as geography, botany, zoology, ecology, French and more. The only requirement is that the courses be designed to take full advantage of their Cameroonian setting.  The people are very welcoming, and Dschang’s geographical centrality lends easy access to many other parts of the country.

Faculty is expected to teach two courses (one of which may be an independent study course) which meet Monday through Thursday during the month-long program. Faculty is also expected to participate in all course-related excursions. The program will comprise daily class instruction Monday through Thursday for the first four weeks, followed by a last week of examinations, report writing, and preparation to depart. Afternoons and evenings will generally be devoted to completion of assignments, class preparation, and short trips within the community, while Fridays will be reserved for out-of-town excursions and special projects. Given the amount of traveling involved in the program, adaptability, flexibility, and creativity are required to teach effectively.