The Catholic University of Central Africa, abbreviated in French as UCAC; and UNICEF have officially launched the first-ever master’s programme in childhood and children’s rights, a novelty in the whole of Sub-Sahara Africa.
Cross section of stakeholders at launching of UCAC-UNICEF Master’s Programme
Speaking on the occasion, the Rector of UCAC, Rev. Fr. Prof. Thomas Bienvenu Tchoungui said the massive presence of stakeholders at the event was a mark of enthusiasm and commitment to the project of promoting children’s rights. He said after two years of collaboration with UNICEF following a formal agreement, the positive results, notably the inclusion of children’s rights in the university’s training curriculum, and now a master’s programme, are today a reality.
“This master’s programme reflects UCAC’s commitment to ensuring that academic excellence serves society and responds to the challenges facing children and communities. By bringing together teaching, research and practical experience, we want to prepare professionals who can turn knowledge into solutions and contribute meaningfully to the realisation of children’s rights,” Prof. Tchoungui told reporters.
Meanwhile, the UNICEF Country Representative, Nadine Perrault, stated that the programme is designed to strengthen professional and academic expertise on children’s rights in Cameroon and beyond.
“Our ambition is simple: children’s rights should not remain principles written in conventions and laws. They must translate into decisions and actions that make a tangible difference in children’s lives. Through this partnership with UCAC, we are investing in a new generation of professionals equipped to place children’s rights at the heart of policies and practices,” Perrault reiterated.
Presenting the content of the master’s programme in childhood and children’s rights, the Coordinator of the Child’s Right Centre at UCAC, Prof. Marie Therese Mengué; who was assisted in the task by the Social and Behaviour Change Officer at UNICEF, Dr. Albert Le Grand Fossou, disclosed that the multidisciplinary programme brings together graduates from diverse fields.
They include: law, social sciences, education, public health, governance, public finance and behavioural sciences. They said the programme is aligned with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.
Prof. Mengué and Dr. Fossou said the programme builds on a strategic partnership between UCAC and UNICEF formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU signed in May 2025, followed by a specific agreement in November 2025. It is also part of UNICEF’s broader collaboration with the academia in Cameroon, which has contributed to the establishment of nine Child Rights Centres in partner universities since 2024.
They equally told reporters that the master’s programme will also connect with the African Network of Universities for Children’s Rights, established in Yaounde in May 2026, strengthening academic collaboration and knowledge exchange across Africa.
Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are open until September 25, 2026, with admission results expected by September 30, 2026. The first cohort is expected to begin the programme, which will be conducted in English, French and Spanish languages respectively, in October 2026.
Through this initiative, UCAC and UNICEF gear at strengthening the link between knowledge, evidence and action; and help build a new generation of professionals equipped to make children’s rights a reality in policies, institutions and communities.
By Nformi Sonde Kinsai
