Working visit

UDs and AfDB Move to Bolster Links Following High-Level working session

The University of Dschang (UDs) has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening strategic ties with the African Development Bank (AfDB) following a high-level working visit by a five-member delegation this Tuesday 20th October 2026.

The over four-hour working session, held at the Rectorate’s Fotso Victor Conference Hall, was led by AfDB head of mission , Ms. Anne Perrot Bihina and chaired by Professor Guimdo Dongmo Bertrand-Raymond, Vice-Rector in charge of Research, Cooperation, and Relations with the Business World. Members of the Rectoral Council and senior university administrators were also in attendance.

The visit served as a pivotal platform for UDs to showcase its scientific, technological, and academic potential, while charting avenues for project financing under the AfDB’s broader development framework.

During the intensive session, a succinct overview of the university, UDs infrastructural spectrum, the Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, CATI2-UDs, the Faculty of Sciences, the Fotso Victor Institute of Technology, and the Institute of Fine Arts in Foumban were presented underscoring the institution’s multidisciplinary drive to solve real-world development challenges through innovation.

Speaking on behalf of UDs, Prof. Guimdo Dongmo Bertrand-Raymond emphasized the existing institutional synergies that align with sustainable development goals. He reiterated UDs’ readiness to tailor its institutional expertise and project proposals directly to the AfDB’s strategic priorities in place.

Outlining the bank’s vision, Ms. Bihina presented an overview of the AfDB’s 2023–2028 country strategy plans for Cameroon, detailing progress of execution. She noted that the bank is currently conducting evaluations to identify strategic, high-impact sectors aimed at accelerating Cameroon’s structural economic transformation.

Ms. Bihina underscored the criteria for future funding, stressing that project selection will hinge on clear, well-supported concept notes that demonstrate technical feasibility, strong development impact, and organizational capacity. Among the flagship initiatives under review is a project focused on developing regional centers of excellence in technology, technical training, and business incubators to accelerate national industrialization.

The meeting concluded with both parties reaffirming their shared commitment to fostering research-driven economic growth and establishing a structured framework for future project submissions. The delegation proceeded to the Cati2-UDs to check on enterpreneurs who presented their their initiatives and outlined their challenges faced in the business world .