ABOUT ME
Personal Statement

As associate professor of Development Studies, I am passionate about interdisciplinary research around Human – Nature – sustainability nexus, with a special thrust on the role of endogenous, community-based institutions in fashioning human-nature (socio-ecological) interactions, for the benefit of both. This is achieved through theoretical and empirical research on livelihoods, climate change/disaster management, poverty and sustainable development research, and natural resource economics

Basic Information
Emails:
balgahroland@gmail.com; balgazib@yahoo.com; roland.balgah@bustedu.com; contact@rolandbalgah.com
Phone:
(+237) 670 511 067
Address:
College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39, Bambili, Northwest Region, The Republic of Cameroon
Language:
English, French, German, Pidgin English
ORCID ID:
0000-0002-6117-2282 - (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6117-2282)
PROFESSIONAL & SPECIAL SKILLS
COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Excellent; gained through training (and eventual teaching) of communication skills at the University, my experience as a seasoned scholar (through public/conference presentations, writing projects and scholarly articles, and in my present function as Senior Research fellow and Dean in the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development of the Bamenda University of Science and Technology – BUST, Cameroon

Can communicate messages perfectly to an interdisciplinary audience: A skill enhanced through trainings received from eConnect, Australia in 2016 and 2020.

ORGANIZATIONAL / MANAGERIAL SKILLS
Excellent leadership and management skills gained through

(1) capacity building on Leadership and Management;

(2) Teaching leadership, management and Governance courses at Bachelors and Masters degree levels,

(3) practical leadership and management skills gained from managing (national and international) research teams in three postdoctoral fellowships, and multiple development projects; and through administrative functions (as Dean and Head of service)

Digital Skills
  1. Good command of office suite (word processor, spread sheet, presentation software)
  2. Sufficient command of photo editing software gained as Research project coordinator; and in the preparation of conference/ scientific presentations
  3. Good content creation from publishing efforts & writing official letters to partners and hierarchy
  4. Good knowledge of SPSS, acquired during masters degree studies, and appropriated regularly for own data analysis and presentation
  5. Good command of Zoom applications from online teaching and participating in online conferences and meetings
SELF ASSESSMENT
Key Meaning
PUProficient User
IU Independent User

Information Processing :

PU

Communication :

IU

Content Creation :

PU

Safety :

IU

Problem Solving :

IU
Special Skills
  1. Excellent working knowledge on Microsoft word, power point and good knowledge in Excel
  2. Sound Knowledge of SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)
  3. Acceptable knowledge on online teaching (using Zoom applications)
  4. Sound theoretical and experiential knowledge in Project Planning and Management, Development Research, Organizational Development, Organizational Leadership, Business Planning Project evaluation and Fund Raising.
Other Skills
  1. Grants Writing and Fund Raising
  2. Organizational development
  3. Project Management, including external evaluations
  4. Working across disciplines
  5. Goal-oriented
  6. Deadline-conscious
JOB RELATED SKILLS
  • Good scientific writing and analytical skills (gained from multiple workshops on scientific writing; then teaching, and supervision of (Bachelors, masters and PhD) students); (co)publishing and article review activities
  • Good capacity to work in teams and individually (gained from multiple jobs executed in my professional life, which warranted me to fit in teams, and/or sometimes work individually). This skill benefits from my study experiences and research stays at German Universities
  • Coordinating interdisciplinary teams of (national and international) researchers. Experience was gained through 3 postdoctoral research projects (funded by the Volkswagen Foundation Germany), which I coordinated between 2012 and 2021
  • Knowledge and experience in Curriculum Design
    I participated in;
    (1) designing and re-designing the curriculum of the College of Technology, the University of Bamenda in 2014 and 2017 respectively;
    (2) designing Masters and PhD programs for the Department of Agribusiness Technology (co-leader) in 2018; and
    (3) designing a new educational catalogue for Undergraduate and Masters programs for the Bamenda University of Science and technology (BUST) Cameroon, in 2016, and a revision in 2020
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Married, with two children
Likes travelling
Enjoys working across disciplinary boundaries

Sound theoretical, and practical knowledge on agricultural development in Africa; and soft skills such as gender, participatory development and management, leadership, conflict resolution, organizational development and goal oriented project planning (ZOPP) approach.

Over 15 years of work experience on Sustainable Development issues in the Nonprofit sector in Cameroon

10-year successful experience on Empirical Research in Africa, on Environment (Disaster) -Human-sustainability nexus issues

WORK EXPERIENCE

2024 - Present

Associate Professor
Associate Professor

College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon (www.uniba.cm)

2019 - Present

Dean of Studies
Dean, Higher Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development

Bamenda University of Science and Technology, Cameroon, P.O. Box 277 Nkwen Bamenda, Republic of Cameroon. Email: Website: www.bustedu.com

Responsible for the overall functioning of Bachelors and Masters Programs in the Higher institute (allocating courses to lecturers/ follow up, managing exams, collaborating with partner institutions, coordinating the faculty team, reporting to senate, allocating/supervision of student theses, etc)

2011 - Present

Head of Service
Head of Service for Admissions and Students Records

College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, Cameroon

Yearly admission of students, processing of results/ treatment of complaints, and archiving the college’s records, compiling statistics for hierarchy

2008 - 2011

Junior Research Associate
Junior Research Associate

Department of Agricultural Development and Policy, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Central and Eastern Europe –IAMO, Halle-Saale, Germany (www.iamo.de )
PhD Student

2007 - 2008

Project manager
Project Manager

Strategic Humanitarian Services (SHUMAS) NGO’s Organic farming Training and Demonstration Center, Kumbo, Cameroon (www.shumas-cameroon.org)

Coordinate all activities relating to the establishment of the Organic farm (setting up units, oversee construction of buildings and facilities), and training of farmers (curriculum design, recruitment of candidates, coordinate training and follow up activities)

2006 - 2007

Rural Development Consultant
Independent Rural Development Consultant, Cameroon

Strengthening the capacities of Civil society organizations in Cameroon on aspects like project management, Leadership and Organizational Development

1996 - 2006

Head, Rural Development
Head, Rural Development

Presbyterian Rural Training Center (PRTC) Fonta, Cameroon (www.prtcfonta.org)

Overall coordination of Rural Development Projects, personnel, resources and processes in Cameroon; including reporting to different funders, and communicating with all partners

1995 - 1996

Farm Manager
Farm Manager

Economic Cultivation Enterprise (ECE), P.O. 5044 Nkwen, Bamenda, Cameroon

General farm management (input-output activities for Poultry, Pig and gardening; include record keeping and coordination of farm staff)

Other Relevant Experience
  • Over 15 years of work experience in the Nonprofit sector in Cameroon, with a focus on agricultural and rural development.
  • 2007: Project Manager for the design and establishment of an Organic farming development and Training center for the Strategic Humanitarian Services (SHUMAS) www.shumas-cameroon.org)
  • Sound theoretical, and practical knowledge on contemporary development issues such as gender, participatory development and management, nonprofit economics, socioeconomics, goal oriented project planning (ZOPP) approach
EDUCATION & TRAINING

2008 - 2011

PhD
Dr Agriculturarum

Martin Luther Universität Halle – Wittenberg, Germany

Title of PhD Dissertation: Managing natural Risks and Shocks. Informal Response Mechanisms and the Role of Nonprofit Organization
Defended: 07 November, 2011, Grade: Cum Laude
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Gertrud Buchenrieder (buchenrieder@yahoo.de)

2002 - 2004

Certificate, PhD Program
Certificate, PhD Program in Agricultural Economics

Master of Science in Tropical and International Agriculture

Georg August Universität Götttingen, Germany

Tropical and International Agriculture (Specialization: “Socioeconomics of Rural Development”)
Title of Thesis: “Poverty and Resource management for fish farming households in North West Cameroon. A comparative Analysis”
Defended: 25 June 2004, Grade: “Sehr gut” [Very Good] (1,3)
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Dr. Winfred Mannig; and PD Dr. Regina Birner

1992 - 1994

Diploma
Agricultural Senior Technician’s Diploma

Regional College of Agriculture, Bambili Cameroon

Title of Thesis: “issues on the Castration of Calves”
Defended: July 1994, Grade: Very Good (1,3)
Supervisor: Dr. Ndenecho Emmanuel

RERENCES
Videos
CONTACT ME

Address

College of Technology, The University of Bamenda, P.O. Box 39, Bambili, Northwest Region, The Republic of Cameroon

Phone

(+237) 670 511 067

Email

balgahroland@gmail.com; balgazib@yahoo.com; roland.balgah@bustedu.com

Website

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Roland-Balgah - https://rolandbalgah.com/