University of Bertoua
The first university in the East Region, the University of Bertoua (UBe) was created in January 2022. It inherited a Higher Teacher Training College opened in 2018 by the University of Ngaoundéré and an agricultural institute in Bélabo that came under the University of Dschang, and it added schools spread across several towns in the region: urban planning and tourism in Abong-Mbang, mining in Batouri.
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At a glance
- City and campuses
- Bertoua (rectorate, faculties, ENS); ISABEE in Bélabo; ESSUT in Abong-Mbang; ESTM in Batouri — East Region
- Founded
- January 2022: Decree No. 2022/003 of 5 January 2022 creating universities, and Decree No. 2022/008 creating and organising UBe
- Status
- Public scientific and cultural institution under MINESUP; bilingual
- Rector
- Prof. Dieudonné Emmanuel Pegnyemb, appointed by decree on 9 April 2024, the second rector (in office in August 2026 according to the official website)
- Students
- More than 4,000 in October 2022 (DataCameroon); no more recent figure published
- Official website
- www.univ-bertoua.cm
Creation and inheritance
Before 2022, public higher education already existed in Bertoua: the University of Ngaoundéré had opened a Higher Teacher Training College there in 2018, and the Higher Institute of Agriculture, Wood, Water and Environment (ISABEE) in Bélabo, created by ministerial order on 28 January 2015, came under the University of Dschang. The January 2022 decree attached both to the new university and created two schools, ESSUT and ESTM.
The first rector, Prof. Rémy Magloire Etoua, took office in 2022. When the 2022-2023 year began, according to DataCameroon, only the law faculty, the ENS and ISABEE were running; classes were held partly at the Kano technical high school, in lecture halls of over 1,000 students, with a shortage of teaching staff. In October 2023 Cameroon Tribune reported the ESSUT campus ready and, in Batouri, the council pledged 50 hectares for ESTM. Prof. Dieudonné Emmanuel Pegnyemb, a chemist and former director of university accreditation at MINESUP, succeeded him in April 2024.
Faculties and professional schools
| Institution | Acronym and location | Specialisms | Admission |
|---|---|---|---|
| Higher Teacher Training College | ENS, Bertoua | 14 departments (from classics to computing); DIPES I and II, DIPEN, DIPCO | Entrance exam (first cycle: baccalauréat or GCE A Level; second cycle: bachelor's); on qualifications in some cases |
| Higher Institute of Agriculture, Wood, Water and Environment | ISABEE, Bélabo | Forestry engineers, agricultural engineers (rural economics, crop protection, animal production, forestry, rural engineering); BTS; agricultural technicians | Entrance exam |
| Higher School of Urban Planning and Tourism | ESSUT, Abong-Mbang | Urban engineering, architecture, sanitation, urban planning, tourism development and management, hospitality | Written exam (baccalauréat C, D, technical or GCE A Level for urban engineering; any baccalauréat for tourism) |
| Higher School of Mining and Energy Resources Processing | ESTM, Batouri | Six departments: mining and geological engineering, mineral processing…; double degree with North-Eastern Federal University (Yakutsk, Russia) | Entrance exam (notice published in June 2026) |
| Faculty of Law and Political Science | FSJP, Bertoua | Law, political science | Online enrolment with the baccalauréat or GCE A Level |
| Faculty of Arts, Letters and Social Sciences | FALSH, Bertoua | Programmes not detailed on the website | Online enrolment |
| Faculty of Science | FS, Bertoua | Programmes not detailed on the website | Online enrolment |
| Faculty of Economics and Management | FSEG, Bertoua | Programmes not detailed on the website | Online enrolment |
Admission, fees and student life
Enrolment is online (inscriptions.univ-bertoua.net), and the university points applicants to the national guidance platform orientuniv.cm. At the ENS, training costs 50,000 CFA francs a year for regular students and 200,000 for non-salaried auditors, according to the official website. The university runs a cultural festival (FESSCUBe, July 2026); its women's football team won gold at the 2026 national university games, and UBe has been chosen to host the 2028 national finals.
Frequently asked questions
When was the University of Bertoua founded?
In January 2022, by the decrees creating the universities of Bertoua, Ebolowa and Garoua; the UBe website cites Decree No. 2022/008 of 5 January 2022.
Where are the University of Bertoua's schools?
The faculties and the ENS are in Bertoua, ISABEE in Bélabo, ESSUT in Abong-Mbang and ESTM in Batouri, all in the East Region.
Who is the rector of the University of Bertoua?
Prof. Dieudonné Emmanuel Pegnyemb, appointed on 9 April 2024. He succeeded the first rector, Prof. Rémy Magloire Etoua.
How do you get into ENS Bertoua?
By entrance exam: the first cycle is open to holders of the baccalauréat or GCE A Level, the second to bachelor's graduates. Training costs 50,000 CFA francs a year for regular students.
What programmes does the University of Bertoua offer?
Teacher training (ENS), agronomy and forestry (ISABEE), urban planning and tourism (ESSUT), mining and energy (ESTM), plus law, arts, science and economics in its four faculties.
Handle with care
Sources disagree on the founding text: the official website cites Decree No. 2022/008 (or 2022/0008) 'of 5 January 2022', Wikipedia dates it 6 January; the University of Garoua says the new universities were created by Decree No. 2022/003 of 5 January 2022. The programmes page also mentions a 'faculty of medicine and pharmaceutical sciences' with no further detail: no source confirms it is running. No enrolment figure after 2022 has been published.