All You Need to Know about Prof Uphie Melo Chinje, Rector of Ngoundere University

By Fai Cassian Ndi
 Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje is the new Rector of the University of Ngoundere. Before her appointment two days ago to that prestigious position, she was the General Manager of the Local Material Authority-MIPROMALO.

Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje

While at MIPROMALO, Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje was a frontline researcher, like other result oriented researchers, he job was to transform laboratory work into tangible practical work.

She was tasked with moving research results from the laboratory into the field of production. In the past, accusations have been more compounded by the fact that research results never go beyond the laboratory. Reasons being that majority of the research results never tie with local realities because most of the researchers prefer to think globally and act globally. Welcome Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje who is a mark departure from the madding crowd because she thinks globally and act locally. As a woman she has shown proof of being a systematically thought out of the box. As a researcher and a woman for that matter, she has always been worried why there are practical problems to be solved in society and researchers spend time in abstract things. She is one of those rare researchers who believe in the value of work. Far from being an academic exercise, she is of the school of thought of Beacon who saw research and the acquisition of knowledge as planned work. Knowing that everything in the world is purchased by labour, Prof. Uphie Melo Chinje put herself to education and learning that would make her useful in the field of work. And being a God fearing person, her inspiration has often come from Genesis 1:28 which states that: “replenish and subdue it”.  It is therefore a noble sentiment that she has not only replenished the earth but has been subduing it.

As General Manager of the Local Material Production Authority-MIPROMALO, she has been redefining the use of the earth especially it soil. Through her meritorious research work, she demonstrated that local materials are more resistant and she succeeded in putting local construction materials at the front stage in Cameron. That is how she is transforming President Biya’s greater ambition program.

While others in her position will certainly wear arrogance and snobbishness, she remains down to earth and accommodating. Back in Ngoketunjia where she hails, Prof. Uphie Melo initiated and established the Creative Women Center, which is a model in empowering the rural woman. Yet Prof. Melo still goes beyond that to make work the divine with humanity as she believes God makes Himself in all the things. Her successes in development work, research and empowerment is what has earned her this recent appointment by President Paul Biya. She is expected to transform the Ngoundere university into a citadel if standards.

***First published in March 2014 by the same author 

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