The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, and Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo granted an audience recently to the new Ambassador of France to Cameroon, H.E. Sylvain Riquier.
In accordance with diplomatic practices, this official audience with the Ministry of Higher Education took place after the presentation of the copy of his letters of credence to the Minister of External Relations. The protocol meeting last Friday was held in Conference Room 1036 of the Ministry of Higher Education, in the presence of senior officials from the ministry.
In his welcome remarks, Prof Jacques Fame Ndongo praised the strength and longevity of relations between France and Cameroon, recalling the framework cooperation agreement signed between the two countries on February 21, 1974. He also provided an overview of the Cameroonian higher education system, structured around four strategic pillars: quality assurance, professionalization, digitalization of education, and graduate employability.
The minister emphasized the essential role of Franco-Cameroonian cooperation in strengthening academic, scientific, and technological capacities, citing in particular support for the development of professional training programs and university exchanges. Taking the floor, Ambassador Sylvain Riquier expressed his satisfaction with the diversity of existing partnerships between French and Cameroonian higher education institutions.
He reaffirmed France’s willingness to continue its support, with a particular focus on innovation, applied research, and the professional integration of young graduates. This meeting served to reaffirm the foundations of a dynamic and mutually beneficial university cooperation, in a context where challenges related to education, employment, and innovation remain at the heart of bilateral priorities.
By Paul Marcel MBEMBE
