Watch: https://www.tiktok.com/@art.cameroun/video/7605303372752686353?lang=fr

On February 9, 2026, the University of Yaoundé II and the Telecommunications Regulatory Board (TRB) signed a landmark strategic partnership agreement. The ceremony took place at 5 p.m. in the university’s ceremonial hall in Soa, under the chairmanship of Rector Prof. Richard Laurent Omgba and TRB Director General Prof. Philémon Zoo Zame, in the presence of senior academics, TRB officials, and a select group of students.

As recalled by TRB’s Director General in his address, the agreement is the culmination of four years of negotiations. Its signing, on the sidelines of the University’s Scientific Days, further underscores its symbolic significance.

At the heart of the partnership is the creation of an Academic Chair in Digital Governance, designed to structure research and training around the challenges of digital transformation. Beyond financial support, the University sees this as an opportunity to strengthen its role as a hub of expertise and openness, while the TRB benefits directly through the training of its staff and support for strategic research in the digital field.

The agreement provides for TRB personnel to enroll in doctoral programs, take part in advanced training initiatives, and actively contribute to the Chair’s scientific activities. This collaboration will enable the TRB to enhance its internal expertise, support applied research projects, and anticipate the technological shifts reshaping the sector.

As Rector Prof. Omgba emphasized, the accord goes beyond institutional advantages: it establishes a permanent framework for dialogue between academia and the professional sphere. The creation of a scientific steering committee—bringing together academics, regulators, and independent experts—ensures transparency and relevance in the work, while safeguarding academic freedom.

Aligned with Cameroon’s National Development Strategy (SND30) and the Digital Transformation Acceleration Project (PATNUC), the Chair emerges as a strategic instrument to support the country’s structural transformation. It aims to unlock the social and economic potential of digital technologies, while providing the TRB with a powerful lever to assert its role as a forward-looking regulator.

In this way, the University of Yaoundé II and the TRB are laying the foundations of an exemplary cooperation, where academic knowledge and institutional expertise converge to build inclusive digital governance in service of an emerging and sovereign Cameroon.