American Style University in Côte d’Ivoire: International University of Grand-Bassam

Interview with Felix Ahoussi, Director of Student Affairs and Admissions at IUGB (International University of Grand-Bassam)

What are the competitive advantages of IUGB (International University of Grand-Bassam)? Why should students come here to study?

The American style of education is one of the best in the world. Most people now would like to go to the US to study. We decided to create this university because we wanted to attract African students from any region to Côte d’Ivoire to study using the American system. Côte d’Ivoire is a francophone country and we know that to be competitive today, we must be bilingual, and one of the languages that we should master is English. It is quite relevant for francophone students to study for the graduate and undergraduate program in English so that at the end of the program, they can be bilingual and be very competitive with the rest of the world. The world is a global village today and the language of this village is English. Young people must master the English language.

Are there many American style universities in Africa?

There are a few. Most of the American style universities are in English speaking countries. There is one in Kenya, but we do not have an American style university in West or East Africa. We want to be attractive to not only francophone countries, but also to English speaking countries, Portuguese speaking countries like Angola, as well as Spanish speaking countries like Equatorial Guinea where we are planning on going next year to talk about the university.

Why should students choose an American style university? What will they find here?

The way I see IUGB now, it is one of the best alternatives for education in Africa. My vision for IUGB is for it to be a center for excellence in education in Africa and in the sub region.

An important aspect of the American system is that it is based on the liberal arts. We promote liberal arts education. This system does not specialize the student at first. The student is given a set of courses that will help them to develop their critical thinking and general culture so that they will be able to master their specialization. For example, if you are a mechanical engineer, you have courses like critical thinking, theatre, history, etc., so that in the end, you have an open mind. The goal of liberal arts is for all students to have an open mind so that they can master everything else. In other systems, you start your specialization right away. If you are a mechanical engineer, all you know is mechanical engineering. The American system will first help you open your mind and acquire skills because education is based on skills.

Can a student that studies through the American style university in Africa go and work in the US and other Anglophone countries? How do they fit into the job industry after this type of education?

We have examples of former IUGB students who have graduated, whether in the US or here, that are employed, and we have talked to employers and we know the difference that these students are making. They do not only do what people tell them to do, but they are very creative. This system is helping the student to be creative, to take initiative. This system is helping the students to develop teamwork, working together, critical thinking, so that when a student begins working within a company, they are already responsible. Even though he may have a supervisor, our student is very knowledgeable and conscious and takes initiative.

What is it like for the students when they first arrive? What is it like for international students, especially?

New students arriving at IUGB go through the admissions process. The first thing they do is sit for a test. The test can be an English or math test depending on the origin country of the student. We ask students to sit for the TOEFL, the IELTS, and depending on their score, they can be admitted directly to the university undergraduate program or they can be admitted to the university preparatory program, which is a very intensive program to improve their English and math skills. The students who have not taken those international tests sit for our own in-house English and math tests to assess their level. After that, they go through the advising process where they meet advisors who guide them and explain how the system works. We also have a medical checkup with our onsite doctor and vaccinations, etc. Before we start the program, we have orientation for new students. We meet all the new students and gather them on the campus and talk to them for two days. We present to them what the university is, what we do, how the university works, where they can go anytime they need help. In my department, we have the advising center. The advising center is where the students can go for any kind of problem or inquiry that they have, and we are the first line of help for them. We will guide them on academics, campus life, where to get a meal, how to open a bank account, assistance in getting their certificate of residence, and anything else they may need. The advising center is available for the students and coaches the students throughout their stay on the Grand-Bassam campus.

If they are coming from abroad, how do students find accommodation? Is it easy here in Abidjan?

We have a Grand-Bassam campus and every year, though the number of beds is limited, we reserve a certain number for our students coming from abroad. When they arrive, we make arrangements to pick them up at the airport for those who wish and take them directly to their room in Grand-Bassam. Normally, at the end of every semester, the students that are on campus have to leave because we do not board the students throughout the year. But international students who do not have parents or relatives here in Côte d’Ivoire are allowed to stay on the campus.

Something that is famous in the American style universities is the fact that there are many activities on campus after lessons. Do you have this as well?

The American style couples education and academics with extracurricular activities. Here, we have the SGA, Student Government Association, which is a bureau that organizes activities for the students and is led by a president who is elected by the students themselves. Under the SGA, they have different kinds of clubs, such as the Speech Club, the Business Club, Science Club, Dance Club, Religious Club, any type of club. If any student has an idea to create a club that is good and relevant, we will support the activity. The SGA has a budget and we finance all the student activities. The students in Grand-Bassam are very involved in extracurricular activities. They go from economic activities to social activities. Every year, the students participate in beach cleaning in Grand-Bassam, activities with the orphanage of Grand-Bassam, they go to hospitals, they clean the streets of Grand-Bassam, etc. They even collect money to buy goods that they then distributed to the orphanage in Grand-Bassam and surrounding areas. So, this is very important for us. We want all our students to be involved in extracurricular activities. It is not only what they learn in class that is important. It is also what they develop while they are doing extracurricular activities that helps the students to be successful.

What is the goal of the Speech Club?

The Speech Club organizes debates. They choose a topic and organize debates among the students and sometimes they even call the administration and the faculty to assist. The Speech Club also organizes movie events where they will invite all the students to the amphitheater to watch a movie and then they debate afterwards. It is surprising to see what the students bring that you did not expect.

What about the Business Club’s activities?

One of the goals that they want to reach is to be able to create some type of incubator. But the Business Club does many activities such as organizing conferences and inviting CEOs and business people to the campus to talk about specific subjects related to business. They also organize activities. Once, they decided to buy a popcorn machine. They run all these activities, but they are based around their major. Most of the students in Business Club are not necessarily business majors. A computer science major was once the president of the Business Club. Business is everywhere you go, and you have to be knowledgeable about business in everything that you do.

What are the main majors you offer?

About 80 percent of our students in Grand-Bassam are majoring in business. They are doing business with minors in economics, finance, marketing, etc. We are encouraging students to pursue science, especially the girls. We have just opened our new Science and Technology Building as well.

How do you see this side of the university growing in the next three years? What would you like to achieve?

The way I see IUGB now, it is one of the best alternatives for education in Africa. My vision for IUGB is for it to be a center for excellence in education in Africa and in the sub region. I went to Burkina and Ghana and had people ask me why we have not opened a satellite campus there. I told them that that is something we may consider. But at this time, we want to focus on the campus in Côte d’Ivoire in Grand-Bassam so that it can be a center of excellence and so that students can come from everywhere in Africa to study and return to their countries or stay in other countries to work.

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