"A University with Better Roots": Tracing the Public Value of Engineering Universities in Cameroon

Engineering higher education is growing rapidly across the world, especially in the Global South. For many of these countries, the dominant engineering university models were imported and established by colonial European empires. These imported systems of higher education and engineering evolved to meet the local contexts of Europe and the United States in response to political and technological change. Today, engineers are being seen by national and international policymakers as key for innovation and technological development. Given that these models are exogenous to these countries and may carry embedded design values that correspond to the needs of the Global North, this study explores how engineering universities are aligned with societal values in Cameroon, a country with three colonial legacies, a highly diverse institutional landscape, and an engineering university system that is rapidly expanding.To assess the alignment of the Cameroonian engineering education system with Cameroonian perceptions of the common good, this dissertation employs a modified public value mapping method, comparing exogenous public values with endogenous perceptions of public value success or failure. Exogenous values embedded in global engineering education are determined using historical analysis of the evolution of engineering and higher education models in Europe and the United States. Endogenous perceptions of public value success or failure associated with Cameroonian engineering education are determined using a grounded analysis of 49 semi-structured interviews and focus groups. These two sets of values are mapped using historical narrative analysis to illuminate the social impacts of exogenous educational models. This study finds that the engineering curriculum, institutional models of innovation, and methods of academic advancement are all perceived by Cameroonians to be misaligned with the public good. While a grassroots technology start-up culture, inspired by Silicon Valley, has been modified to meet the perceived common good. Furthermore, there is evidence that private grassroots engineering universities may hold stronger ties with their surrounding community than state supported institutions, thus addressing a societal value that would otherwise be neglected. This study suggests that both endogenous and modified exogenous models are more likely to meet perceptions of the common good, while models which are developed outside of a culture are more likely to be perceived as misaligned with societal goals.