OU-Cameroon's recent activities include:
- Student records management system development;
- The training of professional women in science, PROMOFS2007 (Promotion of Women in Science, 2007 version); and
- The IT2007 train the trainer French version of IT2005, a biennial event of UNU that takes place every two years in August-September.
Student Records Management System Development
At the end of last year (October 2006) UNU-INRA-OU/CM hired 8 (eight) graduate student (Master level) from the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Science of the University of Yaoundé to conceive develop and implement an Information System for Student records management of the two big faculties (Faculty of Science and Faculty of Art, Letters and Human Science) of the University of Yaoundé I.
PROMOFS2007 (promotion of women in science, 2007 version)
This year as in 2006, we negotiated and obtained from the Sub Regional Office of UNESCO (For Chad, Cameroon and Republic of Central Africa) to run the 2007 version of Women in Science capacity building (PROMOFS2007). Initially the theme proposed for this year training was "Women in Science and Leadership". This theme was chosen to include donors such as PNUD Yaoundé (represented by TICAD IT Initiative) highly concerned with the very low rate of scientific women in decision making positions in Cameroon. But because of financial difficulties of TICAD IT Initiative Project, they could not participate in the venture. UNESCO, the principal requester of the trainer changed the topic and asked us to rerun the same training of 2006 such as to satisfy some of the 54 rejected candidates of PROMOFS2006. So this year theme remained "Training of Women in Science in Data Management and Data analysis tools". As for 2006 training three partners took joined their financial, human and material resources for the success of the event. These were:
- The Sub Regional Office of UNESCO (For Chad, Cameroon and Republic of Central Africa)
- University of Yaoundé I
- UNU-INRA through UNU-INRA-OU/CM
The objective of the training was to bring trainees with little or no knowledge in data management and data analysis to understand the basic concepts and simple tools that can help them better:
- formulate, process and analyse complex data;
- initiate their work before looking for an expert when dealing with complex data;
- know how to dialogue with the expert when they consult one.
The training lasted five days from Monday July 30 to Friday August 3, 2007. Two modules, each module comprising a theoretical part and a practical part were covered by four instructors for a total of 30 hours:
Module 1: Data management tools include an introductory course in relational database with practical done in MicroSoft ACCESS.
Module 2: Applied Statistics tools for data analysis comprises a theoretical course on descriptive statistics, estimation theory, statistical tests, Analysis of variance and regression. Practical on these different techniques were done with SPSS.
This year again, we received more candidatures than we can handle. Only 15 women out of 60 candidates could be selected for the training because the UNU-INRA-OU/CM computer laboratory can accommodate only 15 trainees at a time. These women came from various sectors as shown below:
02 University of Ngaoundéré;
01 University of Douala ;
01 University of Buéa ;
05 University of Yaoundé I ;
01 Ministry of Higher Education ;
01 Ministry of Health;
01 IRAD (Institute for Agricultural Research for Development) ;
01 IMPM (Institute for Medicine and Medicinal Plants) ;
01 ICRAF (International Center for Research in Agroforestry).
01 International Center of Business
IT2007 train the trainer French version of IT2005
IT2007 train the trainer French version of IT2005 is a biennial training program in capacity building in digital technology for a better management of natural resources. This is the program at the origin of the creation of UNU-INRA-OU/CM. It normally runs every two years during the summer (August-September) with the language of communication alternating from English to French.
After the call for candidature launched in June 2007, we received 38 candidatures from the following countries:
1 from Benin ;
30 from Cameroon ;
1 from Niger ;
3 from Senegal and
3 from Chad.
Here again, the capacity constraint of the UNU-INRA-OU/CM computer laboratory forced us to recruit only 15 out of the 38 candidates who participated at the training from August 20 to September 7, 2007. The 15 candidates were distributed as follows:
1 from Benin;
12 from Cameroon (3 from the University of Dschang, 2 from the University of Ngaoundéré, 3 from the University de Yaoundé I, 1 ONAREF (National Office of Forestry Research), 1 Cabinet FEO, 1 IITA, and 1 from the Ministry of Forest),
1 from Senegal and
1 from Chad.
The objective of the training was to build capacity in digital technology, to facilitate analysis and management of natural, human and environmental resources.
During three weeks of intensive training from 08h00 to 19h00 every day from Monday to Saturday, 8 fully devoted instructors, each expert in his domain, provided to the 15 trainees computer tools used for better management of Natural, Human and Environmental Resources. The training is composed of four modules:
Basic tools module has two units:
1. Data management tools: Trainees will be introduced to the tasks of conception, implementation and use of relational databases.
2. Images processing tools: Trainees will be introduced to various image acquisition techniques, different format of representation and saving, mechanisms of conversion from one format to the others, and techniques for enhancing the quality of an image.
GIS and Remote Sensing Module has three units:
1. GIS or Geographic Information System: serves as bridge between the manual cartography and the digitization of maps, using advantages connected to the flexibility and the handiness of the computer tools. The module treats principles of computer-assisted cartography, scanning, digitization, covering, transparency and superimposition of maps, the creation of GIS database, GIS skills and the transfer of the cartographic data of Cartography software packages to the GIS software packages and vice versa. These application software packages are Adobe Illustrator and MAPINFO.
2. GPS or Global Positioning System: This unit teaches trainees about the functioning and use of a GPS. At the end of the course, the trainees will be able to use GPS to determine the ground coordinates of a point, to build a map, to go from one point to another.
3. Remote Sensing: This unit is comprises two parts: a theoretical part introducing spatial remote sensing followed by a series of digital treatments of spatial images. Case studies will show the contributions of the remote sensing to the estimation of the quality of surface water and to the use of the spatial images.
Digital Map making and Spatial Analysis has two units:
1. Digital Mapping: The following tasks are performed: digitalization and edition of analogical maps using ; Filling of data on the digitized map and Multi-layering of the different thematic layers to derive secondary (analytical) layers.
2. Spatial Analysis: shows how to use spatial analysis and cartographic visualization as decision support
Practical work
Trainees were teamed out in five groups with five different case studies. They carried out their case studies from the conception phase to the implementation phase using various tools mastered during the training. Their results were packaged in power point presented at the closing ceremony.
