Young scientists seek mentors, funds to better play their role

CAMEROON

Fifteen young science researchers admitted to the Cameroon Academy of Young Scientists (CAYS) have acknowledged the role of the younger generation of science researchers to bring innovative perspectives, ensure sustainability, and add the valuable and quality results required to accelerate much-needed economic growth in Cameroon.

However, they say continuous mentoring from experienced mentors, inclusion in the professional networks of those in senior academic ranks, and funding will have a greater impact on their career success.

According to Dr Brice Tchakam Kamtchueng, president of the executive bureau of the CAYS, the future of Africa is in the hands of young scientists who continue to seek knowledge to improve the well-being of the population and contribute to development.

“Young scientists are the live wire needed to ensure continuity and innovation in research for development. They, therefore, need the technical support of their seniors and a professional platform for career improvement,” Kamtchueng said at a meeting of young researchers held on 14 April 2025 in Yaounde.

The young researchers were officially welcomed into the academy during an induction ceremony of new research fellows of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences (CAS) on 9 April 2025 at the Cameroon Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation. Altogether, 28 members were inducted into the research team in Cameroon: 13 research fellows and 15 young scientists.

Eager to play a role

The young researchers called on higher education and scientific research authorities in Cameroon and Africa to ensure inclusive research policies that encourage younger researchers, and especially women, to take an interest in scientific research and pave the way for them to play their role in innovative development.

“One of the biggest challenges young researchers in Africa face is that of mentoring from their seniors and adequate funding from the government,” Kamtchueng said. The young scientists say funding, mentoring and collaboration help to enrich the quality of any meaningful science research.

“It takes good funding, mentorship and collaboration to obtain quality research,” one of the young scientists, Dr Felix Kembe Assah of the faculty of medicine and biomedical sciences at the University of Yaoundé I, told University World News.

Scientific distinctions

Speaking at the ceremony, Professor Beban Sammy Chumbow, president of both CAS and the African Scientific Research and Innovation Council, said continuous training and orientation, and knowledge exchange are the pathways for young scientists in any scientific community. He urged them to walk in the footsteps of their seniors by striving for excellence. He told the young scientists to buckle down and work to ensure their place as fellows soon.

“Many of the admitted fellows have worked hard, winning scientific distinctions at local and international level. As seasoned scientists, they will be committed to bringing change in science and national development. As young scientists, you must emulate their example to scale their ranks in the future,” Chumbow advised.

The young researchers say that joining CAYS marks a milestone in their careers, helping to create a new generation of great minds in the sciences. “This is just the beginning, and we are aware of the huge task ahead,” Dr Pricelia Tumenta, researcher and lecturer at the University of Dschang, said at the induction event.

Experts say that, for Africa to attain the economic growth needed, revolutionising the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) ecosystem is urgent. According to the ministry of scientific research and innovation, CAYS selects outstanding young minds for their impactful research and commitment to advancing knowledge.

A model for younger students

CAYS is an initiative that seeks to empower the younger generation to become leaders in STEM.

“It is an arm of the senior CAS that is encouraged and supported by the ministry of higher education and that of scientific research and innovation to serve as a model for younger students in colleges, especially girls, to take an interest in the sciences,” Professor Rebecca Madeleine Ebelle Etame, secretary general in the ministry of scientific research and innovation, said at the induction ceremony.

Kamtchueng said CAYS organises annual scientific conferences that provide opportunities for young scientists to highlight their research and exchange ideas with one another. It organises science clubs designed to give young people a platform to explore and learn about science in a fun and interactive way. It supports youth scientific projects covering a range of topics, including environmental science, health, and technology.

The authorities state that the admission of 13 fellows into CAS and 15 new members into CAYS has strengthened the university’s research team in Cameroon. The new members come from three colleges: biological sciences, mathematical and physical sciences, and social sciences. Among the newly admitted fellows is Cameroon’s Minister of Higher Education, Professor Jacques Fame Ndongo.

“I am glad to be among the growing pool of scientific talents in Cameroon and to join the academy’s commitment to promoting excellence in various fields of science,” Ndongo told the media at the ceremony.

Research and economic growth

By academic tradition, the new inductees presented their research. They swore an oath to abide by the academy’s statutes and to pursue their research with dedication in the service of scientific progress.

According to Chumbow, CAS was founded in 1990 to promote high-level scientific research and technological training. “This academy is the core driving research policies in the country’s higher education system and also advises national and international decision-makers on major issues relating to science and technology in the service of humanity,” he said in his induction address.

He said that university researchers have a duty to strengthen the links between scientific research and the productive sectors of the national economy. “They constitute the think tank of innovation to drive sustainable development, economic growth in the country, in particular, and the continent at large. Africa cannot emerge economically without innovative research driven by university researchers.”

[ad_1]

_{Images are for reference only.Images and contents gathered automatic from google or 3rd party sources.All rights on the images and contents are with their legal original owners.}

[ad_2]