Reward for honest hard work:

Tikum Mbah Azongah heads VEA Program

By Doh Bertrand Nua in Kumba

The French University of Robert de Sorbon has extended her La Validation des Acquis de l'Experience  (VAE) program translated in English to mean "The Validation of Acquired Experience" Degree program to Cameroon by appointing university lecturer and journalist,  Dr. Tikum Mbah Azonga as their representative in West and Central Africa.

                Dr. Tikum Mbah Azonga appointed in April this year in a press conference on Thursday September 14 at Azi Motel Kumba disclosed that he has been chosen to see into it that the good initiative instituted by the Ecole Superieur Robert de Sorbon is extended to Cameroonians who have put in so many years of work in different fields of study without any academic degree to back it up or match their experience.

                The West and Central African representative explained that the VAE program is a great opportunity for persons who thought retirement is all for their career to get additional certificates that match the years spend working on specific domains. He added that the program gives people the opportunity to do further studies without getting to a traditional means of study by returning to school to write exams, do research works, thesis defence. He further clarified that the VAE program helps people to be directed towards degree programs that help reflect their skills and experience in the different domains they have worked.

                Dr. Tikum Mbah expounded that with the VAE program, after Advanced level; three years of work experience is equivalent to a single year in a university classroom. As such for one to be awarded a Bachelor's degree through the VAE program he/she must have put in nine years of work experience in a particular field backed by proves and evidences of competence.  In the same light, fifteen years of work experience is needed for someone with 'A' levels to be awarded a Master’s degree and 24 years for a Phd. The procedure he revealed is determined based on the level of education and number of years put in doing a particular job.

                Quizzed on the value of the VAE degrees, Dr. Tikum Mbah revealed that the VAE degrees are awarded with Diploma supplement that accompanies it. He added it serves to highlight the professional aspect of the qualification that has thus been awarded and thereby brings about harmonisation of international certification especially within the context of professionalization of higher education and the new BMP system.

                On recognition of the degrees, Dr. Tikum Mbah explained that all degrees are further certified by the French embassy in Cameroon and recognised worldwide. He added that the degrees are fully recognised by the Cameroon government through the Ministry of Higher Education and that of Employment and Vocational Training. He warned that any attempts to call to question the degrees recognised by the French government and her embassy in Cameroon as well as the Cameroon government is tantamount to creating a diplomatic tension between both countries. Dr. Tikum Mbah Azonga revealed that the VAE degrees are different from honorary degrees because the VAE degrees are expertise base, awarded through years of practice.

                Designed to provide description of the nature, level, content and status of the studies, the VAE program was passed in French law in August 1985 authorising people with work experience to ask for Diploma equivalence and became effective in France in 2002. The admission procedure he explained takes between one to two weeks and once a student is accepted, the sum of FCFA 650000 is paid either in one or two instalment for the degree. After payment he further revealed it takes three to six months for evaluation of the documents that back candidates' claims to entitlement of the degree. The program offers degrees in Arts, sciences, Human resources marine and management and a lot more disciplines.