The first graduates at ENSTP of Yaoundé, Cameroun
On Thursday, March 17th 2016, the Rector Prof. Rosario Rizzuto began a series of meetings in Cameroun, Yaoundé, in occasion of the official visit by the Italian President Sergio Mattarella, moved by his personal interest in the strengthening of the relationship between the two countries on many key-aspects: enterprises, infrastructural development, higher formation, in the shared civil values of fight against terrorism and immigration refuge, two relevant aspects in the pursuit of human rights.
During his first day in Yaoundé, the Rector held a conference to ENSTP students, the teaching staff and the technical-administrative staff, in which he introduced the history and tradition of the University of Padova and its evolution up to now, enlightening the recent perspectives of a stronger ambition for internationalization.
The presentation of the Rector was introduced by a welcome speech by the ENSTP Director, Prof. George Elambo Nkeng, and a lecture by Prof. Emeritus Bernhard Schrefler, on the possibilities opened by the scientific research at the University of Padova, also in relation to the Cameroonian context.
In the afternoon the summit between President Mattarella and the Cameroonian President Paul Byia took place at the Palais de l’Unité, where 5 bilateral agreements were signed in presence of the Italian Embassador in Cameroon, Samuela Isopi, 2 of which concerning the action of the University of Padova in Cameroun, both signed by the Rector and the Cameroonian Minister of Public Works, Mr. Emmanuel Nganou Djoumessi or the framework agreement on the renewal of the University formation, since 2010, and professional Master formation, since 2012, lead in partnership between ENSTP and the University of Padova, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, and an agreement appointing the University of Padova, same Department, to develop a urban planning for the city of Yaoundé and design social housing in line with the demographic increase of the country and good practices of urban planning. As regards the ongoing cooperation agreement in the field of University formation, the partnership allowed the first cycle of students made by 75 to graduate with a Master Degree in Civil Engineering or a Master Degree in Environmental Engineering.
In the evening the Rector participated to the State dinner at the Palais de l’Unité offered by President Paul Byia, with both the Presidents, the first lady M.me Chantal Byia and President Mattarella’s daughter Laura Mattarella, together with a close series of invited persons of both delegations, among which the Vice-rector for didactics Prof. Daniela Mapelli and Prof. Carmelo Majorana, person in charge for the cooperation agreement for the University of Padova.
On Friday, March 18th, the Rector and the delegation of the University of Padova participated to the special lecture by President Mattarella at the University of Yaoundé I, the oldest University in town, in presence of the Rector of Yaoundé I, the Minister of Higher Education, Mr. Jacques Fame Ndongo and the Italian Embassor. In this occasion the Italian President had an exchange with Cameroonian students and was awarded the title of Honorary Professor.
In the evening President Mattarella made visit to the Ambassador’s house, in occasion of the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Italian Embassy in Cameroun, where also representatives of the Italian community were invited in several fields: enterprises, missions and formation.
On Saturday, March 19th, the ceremony of the cooperation between the University of Padova and ENSTP took place at the Hilton hotel; the Rector introduced the 75 graduate students who got their Degree in the framework of the partnership between ENSTP and the University of Padova to President Mattarella, the Cameroonian Ministers of: Public Works, Higher Education, Foreign Relationships, Mr. Mbella Mbella Lejeune, the Italian Ambassador and the Italian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs: 29 Civil engineers, curriculum: geotechnics; 30 Civil engineers: curriculum: structures; 16 Environmental engineers. With his speech, President Mattarella confirmed his will to strengthen the ongoing partnership in the common objective to form technicians in line with the excellent expectations of the Cameroonian Government. It was also pointed out the pioneer action of the Italian University system in the country and further ambitious developments of the cooperation were figured out: the need for an institutionalization of the didactic model adopted so far, in perspective of a generation of an “Italian-Cameroonian dimension of higher formation”, a sort of hub of the University of Padova at ENSTP; the launch of a 5-year single cycle Degree course in Building Engineering and Architecture, to form engineers-architects able to address the fast development of Cameroon; the institution of a Doctoral School to start to research the most talented and motivated graduates, as well as to prepare the next ENSTP teachers.
