Friday, February 7, 2014

Buea University publishes online list of graduates

It is sad to state that Buea University in the south west region of Cameroon does not have a very good reputation internationally because of some [unscrupulous] individuals who claim they graduated from the university -- although in fact they never attended the university or completed studies. Verification of certificates is often difficult. But the university seems to be taking steps through the World Wide Web to solve the problem of "ghost graduates" by publishing a list of all graduates, in alphabetical order, on its website.

University of Buea (UB) now has a website that appears to be working fairly well, despite a few inactive tabs -- the last time I checked. The website provides useful information about the university, including its history, mission, anthem, teaching schedules, course registration, university news and admission requirements. It also provides information about its registrar's office and how students' credentials could be verified.

The website also carries a list of graduates - those who graduated between 1996 and 2011. The list showcases degree programmes, dates of award and names of graduates.


In my view, the creation of a website by the university is laudable -- mindful of the fact that in this digital age many institutions both in the public and private sectors in Cameroon still do not have websites. University of Buea is making progress.

The publication of a list of graduates is bad news to "ghost graduates" of the university and good news to those who actually graduated from the institution of higher learning. Interested institutions and employers can now easily verify if an individual actually graduated from University of Buea.

I welcome the idea of showcasing a list of graduates since it will, in my assessment, go a long way to deter false graduation claims and ease the process of degree verification. However, I am concerned about widespread bribery and corruption in institutions in Cameroon, and the negative impact the social ill could have on such a list. UB authorities should make sure the list of graduates is complete and accurate. An incomplete or inaccurate list could have damaging repercussions on further studies and careers of affected graduates and on the reputation of the university. The list should be updated to include more recent graduates (2012 - present).

It was nice to see my name on the list. According to information on UB's website, my Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree was award on 15 October 2010.

6 comments:

  1. This whole project is just so totally wrong. To be honest I have serious privacy concerns with this whole thing. It is bad. If they have any verification concerns, they should contact the institution directly.

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    Replies
    1. I would like you to give a great alternative, when the university doesn't answer requests for verifications? Only a Post Box address and no phone number. Doesn't seem very professional. The literature about the educational system states that higher education is delivered in French. How come the credentials are in English, no embossed seals etc. I think this list is great, however not very helpful, as it only goes to 2011. If the graduates are honest, there shouldn't be a problem with this practice. There are no serious private info. Just names and the program.

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  2. Though I didn't graduate from Buea it will be great for transcription agencies to have a way to verify information about students since when these institutions call the University they can never get them.

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  3. Not withstanding the privacy concerns,I think it is a great move by the university for it's transparency initiative.As John Wooden says "I think it's like character and reputation. Your reputation is what you are perceived to be; your character is what you really are".Who we are is what we are you cannot easily change that.A good example are the UB Uncovered 113 Forged Certificates, Transcripts check for prove www.postnewsline.com/2006/08/ub_uncovers_113.html

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  4. The list is even misleading. I graduated from the University of Buea in 1999 and I can find my name. There are some people whose names have been repeated five times. It is not professional and misleading at same time because if my degree has to be verified using this forum it will never be found. UB should improve on it.

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  5. Simple programming and management of database has become something that an institution teaching computer engineering writes spaghetti codes. It's a big disgrace to UB. Professionals are everywhere, UB should contact one.

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