IRIC at 50: Projecting Cameroon’s Soft Power and Cultural Values

The International Relations institute of Cameroon has been portrayed as a yardstick to measure the level of Cameroon’s ‘Soft Power’ on the Global scene. 

During an International Colloquium this Wednesday June 29, 2022 at the Amphi theatre 250 of the school, it was revealed that for the past 50 years, IRIC has helped in the achievements of a score high on the index of Cameroon’s soft power.

Amongst the prowess of the institution is the training of more than ten thousand International Relations experts who today work in different parts of the world.

The International Colloquium holding as part of activities to mark the celebration of their golden jubilee was also occasion to market the institutions prospects.

His Excellency Churchill Monono, one of the panellists made a presentation on IRIC as a tool to measure the para-diplomatic, scientific and cultural position of Cameroon on the international scene.

He explained that the school has succeeded to bring students from 48 different countries with various linguistic and cultural backgrounds and has trained them without hitches.

This evaluation of the school was further explained by Prof. Jean Emmanuel Pondi, former Director of IRIC, who said the creation of the institute ten years after the Independence of most African countries was to train qualified African Diplomats, bearing in mind the African model.

‘There was need to  have qualified international Relations staff in the United Nations,  African Union and other commissions.

He cited the two Cameroonian Secretaries General of the African Union; William Aurelien Eteki Boumuoa and Nzo Ekanganki as credits of IRIC.

Being one of the oldest schools south of the Sahara, IRIC has provided the world with trust worthy Diplomats who are today resolving the challenges of International Relations.

Opening the international Colloquium His Excellency John Billy Eko, Inspector General in charge of patrimony in the Ministry of External Relations encouraged the panellist to explore the past and the present  of the school so as to build a solid future, especial new fields that are cropping up like e-Economy, sports diplomacy,  terrorism, Climate change and many others.

Panellists from Renowned Institutions Present

A total of 16 panellists exposed on different aspects of Diplomacy and International Relations and training offered by the school. Prof Pamphile Biyoghé of the Higher Teachers Training College of Gabon looked at the Historic and Anthropological reasons why most countries resolve to war when faced with political crises. Others looked at the challenges of diplomacy at the time, the need to train Diplomats with different languages, and the place of women in the Diplomatic landscape in Cameroon.

The participants of the Colloquium who are mostly students of International Relations tapped from the expert presentations of the renowned professors. They are expected to make a difference in their generation.

Prisilia Lum

Elvis Teke

Journalist, Online Reporter, News Presenter, Programme Anchor, Peace Advocate, Geo-strategist,

elvisteke has 1913 posts and counting.See all posts by elvisteke

Laisser un commentaire

Votre adresse e-mail ne sera pas publiée. Les champs obligatoires sont indiqués avec *

Ce site utilise Akismet pour réduire les indésirables. En savoir plus sur comment les données de vos commentaires sont utilisées.