PhD Studies Capitalise On The Opportunity

President Paul Biya’s declaration that his just-started seven-year term of office was to promote greater youth and women empowerment and protection is beginning to become a reality, specifically in relation to youths.  During his swearing-in ceremony at the National Assembly on November 6, 2025, the re-elected President Paul Biya declared, “On another score, having been approached on this matter by young people, who expressed utmost concern, I have just ordered the resumption of doctoral studies in universities during this academic year.”
The presidential offer is an opportunity for young people to capitalize on in their quest to better their living conditions and through their research and proposals contribute to the development and advancement of the country and the world in general. The time has come for aspiring candidates to pursue their studies at the level of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) to apply for admission in Cameroon’s 11 State Universities for the 2025-2026 academic year. The President of the Republic, Paul Biya, ordered the resumption of doctoral studies and the number of concerned students for this year is 600. Each State University has quotas with priority faculties and schools indicated. The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education who is Chancellor of Academic Orders, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo following instructions from the President of the Republic signed a press release on January 15, 2026 authorizing Rectors and Vice Chancellors of State Universities to launch the admission process. In a recent press interview, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo said the State has the responsibility to orientate research toward the real development needs of the country. The admission of any candidate will therefore be based on the pertinence of the research proposals.
The different Rectors and Vice Chancellors of the State Universities have therefore on their parts, launched the admission process into the PhD programmes in the selected faculties and schools of their universities. Government has opened a wide range of programmes from which aspiring students can choose and undergo the laid down admission procedures. The deadlines for the submission of candidature files is slated for this week after which the authorities will complete the remaining procedures for the final lists of admitted students to be published. Students therefore have areas of studies to choose from that include: language and culture, human, social and educative science, health and environmental science and technology and geoscience for the University of Yaounde I. In the University of Yaounde II (Soa), admissions are opened in Political and Judicial Sciences, Economics, Management, Communication and International Relations. Students who wish to pursue PhD studies in the University of Bamenda on its part have opportunities in Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Science, College of Technology, Faculty of Economics and Management Science and the National Higher Polytechnic Institute. The available places in each State University take into consideration its specificities and align with government pressing development needs across the board.
The Head of State by ordering the resumption of the PhD programmes in Cameroon’s State Universities has set out to increase the employment opportunities for youths.  There are certainly thousands of PhD holders in the country. However, some specialized schools and faculties in State universities do not have sufficient qualified teaching staff and research supervisors. It is therefore time for the young students to take the offered opportunities through the doctoral programmes to arm themselves for the job market.  Equally, Cameroon is witnessing a boom in the private higher education sector. These institutions need qualified teaching staff to mould their products who will create jobs and propose adequate solutions to societal problems. Students trained in the State Universities are highly needed to also teach in the private institutions. Government policy therefore is to train PhD holders who will be highly solicited both at home and abroad not only to teach but do research and propose solutions in on ways of bettering humanity.
Government through the programme which some people have been arguing that is highly restricted has set out to train as per the need instead of chur...