Candidates for the examination organised by Higher Education Council for Africa and Malagasy, known by its French acronym as CAMES, an exam that paves the way for change of academic echelon from Doctor to Professor, began meeting in Douala, Monday, October 25. The candidates, students with Doctorate Degrees who are meeting to receive preparatory lessons for the professorial examination, will be in Douala until their preparatory course work will be over. Prof. Bruno Bekolo Ebe, Rector of the University of Douala, officially launched the second phase of preparatory sessions on the institution’s main campus on October 25.
Ahead of the CAMES exams in November 2011, the University of Douala shouldered the responsibility to help acquaint candidates for the examination organising for the second time preparatory sessions for candidates to abreast with the necessary methodology, tactics to get on with the oral session of the exam, and other specific exigencies of the exams. Revisions for the second phase of the exam will duel on Management, Economic and Political Sciences, as well as Magistracy. Those undertaking the preparation session this time around are candidates from the University of Douala, other universities in Cameroon, as well as candidates from universities in the Central African Sub-region. Monday’s official launching was also an occasion for the university to officially receive the participating candidates.
The aim of the preparatory session, which is the second of its kind organised by the University after that of April this year, is to help candidates adequately prepare for a change of academic echelon, an exam that paves the way for successful candidates to be professors. Prof. Bruno Bekolo Ebe said emphasis during this second phase will be on working sessions in the three domains in which candidates will be tested during the CAMES exam: doctoral thesis, published work of universal character and a theoretical session. “The preparatory sessions are being organised within the background most candidates go in for the exams ill-prepared or inadequately prepared. Most candidates who vied in the exams ended up not succeeding.” Nonetheless, Prof. Marie-Therese Um Ngouem, Dean of the university, was upbeat that with the preparatory sessions to be conducted by seven well-trained dons for the purpose, candidates can better meet requisite standards bolster their individual performances as well as to succeed in the exam. Candidates were reminded they were going to meet a seven-member jury, five of which may be as well-known to them as the questions. But methodology and other salient examination aspects may be a difficult nitty-gritty; reasons why he urged candidates to make maximum use of the sessions.
