Scientific Council sits in for 3rd Session

Excellence groomed

Dschang,UDs/SIC-10/10/18.The ordinary session of the scientific council of the post graduate school of the University of Dschang was held in the conference hall of the Chancellery on the 10^th of October 2018. This scientific council, sitting for the third time for the selection of applicants into the various Dschang schools was chaired by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tsafack Nanfosso Roger. In his opening speech, he welcomed the members of the scientific council and admonished that they have all come together to complete the post graduate school architecture. He then surmised his evaluation of activities under six headings, Supervision Capacity, Quality test, Organization of Defenses, Defense of Masters on record time, publication of a scientific paper before PhD defense and the circulation of expert reports.   As concerns supervision capacity, the VC acknowledged that the budget for supervision has exploded. On the one hand, he appreciated the fact that the university has successfully implemented the policy of having students complete their Ph.D. in three years and defend in some cases. On the other, he regretted the fact that some students have stayed on the program for more than five years and are therefore clogging the system. This therefore calls for the strict application of article 12 of the Ministerial Order which stipulates that PhD defences should range between a period of at most 5 years.

Prof Nanfosso expressed concerns about the fact that some students and supervisors are not satisfied with marks awarded at the end of some defenses. He deplored the fact that after the student’s work goes through the various quality processes, just an average mark (passable) is awarded at the end of the defense.  He cautioned that Article 28 of the CEMAC rules provides that the defense jury can accept or reject the student’s work and if the jury accepts the work then it should merit “honorable” or “tres honorable”. In terms of guaranteeing and maintaining quality, he said that there is hope in the Thesis Charter since it permits collegial supervision that can enhance the quality of the student’s work. As concerns the organization of defences the VC frowned at the fact that defences in some cases do not follow the First in, first out (FIFO) method. In order to stamp out inequality he advised that defences should be programed following the dates of authorization to defend, calling on all services involved to put hand on deck to ensure it works. The VC equally seized the opportunity to hit hard on the fact that the thought of pre-financing of defences by students should never be nursed. He then saluted the fact that Masters II defences have been taking place in one year and encouraged that it continues. Another important point raised by the VC was the issue of publication of an article before Ph.D defence. He raised the fact that prior to now, the exigency to publish a scientific paper before Ph.D. defense was not a necessary requirement because it was not defined by any text. It was simply a tradition adopted by certain departments. But given the fact that there is a ministerial text requiring such publication, the University of Dschang is called to respect that rule from the batch of students who will be offered admissions from now henceforth. He further admonished that it should not be used as a trap to impede students from completing their work on record time. The VC rounded up laying emphasis on the need to make expert reports available to the student to enhance the quality of the work. He expressed satisfaction with the Post graduate school made up of the different Dschang schools and said the architectural framework is solid and should be maintained. After the preliminary words by the VC, the members of the scientific council of the University of Dschang then commenced with the treatment of files and selection of students for the 2018/2019 post graduate level of UDs. Being an important commission that determines the quality of students for the postgraduate levels at UDs, it is no doubt that the work carried out by the scientific commission lays a solid foundation for the excellence sought after at the University of Dschang. /