Issues of PhD admission needing attention, One year after suspension
Nchendzengang Tatah
The Minister of State, who doubles as the Minister of Higher Education responding to parliament recently disclosed that he had consulted the hierarchy to lift the suspension of PhD in Cameroon state universities since 2023.
Academic dons say it was a stitch in time to restore the manner of this higher degree award. However, it raised worries that more government involvement would be needed.
Minister Jacque Fame Ndongo according to Senator Regina Mundi over CRTV Cameroon Calling on July 21, who tabled the worry said control mechanisms had been put in place to ensure ground evaluation of the process which involves control of the number of supervisees under a supervisor.
The two Professors said the problems needing to be addressed may be far-reaching. “The quality of our PhD students defending over the years has been very poor,” Prof. Victor Ngoh opined.
He explained that it is partly due to the text which allows a supervisor to supervise ten PhD students and ten Master students at the same time. Moreso, the supervisor may be a Dean, Head of Department, or teaching at the undergraduate level. “It is just humanly impossible. The result is that the supervisor doesn’t put in the required time to supervise.”
The members of a defense jury are supposed to be paid for the work and their transportation by the University. Often, the varsity calls on the students to pre-finance for a reimbursement later. “Psychologically everything being equal, you will not do academic justice to the work,” Prof. Ngoh presumed.
The Professor of History admitted that “carrying out research is expensive.” So he disclosed that regularly, he challenges students who raised it as a problem to come on when they are prepared. He feels it is another way to say the work was below standard due to inadequate resources.
Going forth, Prof. Victor Ngoh proposed for Ph.D students to choose topics that can be of interest to Municipal Councils and other institutions that can be funded since research is to solve problems of communities.
The Ph.D research in Biochemistry and Biotechnology for instance scales 25 million fcfa says Prof. P.K Titanji, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea. “You have to find that money somewhere. If it is not in the university budget, then the supervisor has to go for an international research grant.”
Prof. P.K Titanji said competitive research groups sort for these opportunities which some students benefit from. Government on its part, disburses money for professionalization which also goes to purchase some of the needs in such research. “Countries around the world have special programs to fund PhD. There have been proposals that there should be a budget line for this. The government can decide on which areas to focus on according to the needs.”
