The Contribution of Higher Education to Regional Socioeconomic Development : The University of Buea, Cameroon, as a Growth Pole

Abstract

This research investigates how higher education institutions contribute to regional development, using the University of Buea in the Fako region as a case study. Policy documents reviewed and interviews with major stakeholders in the region, present a significant 'delink' or disjuncture between university policy and regional development efforts. This, from the policy perspective, has been strongly attributed to the national rather than to the regional mandate around which the university was established. However, data from the economic and social indicators investigated, reveal that the University of Buea by its very presence has been a significant agent in the development of the municipality.