The World Architecture Day was celebrated yesterday in the Yaounde Architecture School.

Young Cameroonians wishing to study architecture can now undergo training in Cameroon. Apart from the specialised government institutions in Nkongsamba, Foumban and Maroua, training is also offered in the Special Advanced Architecture School of Cameroon (ESSACA) in the Bastos neighbourhood of Yaounde.

Architects joined students of ESSACA yesterday October 1 to commemorate the 2012 World Architecture Day. Amongst several activities featured round table discussions on the day's theme, "Architects Change the Town." According to ESSACA's Executive Director, Jean Jacques Kotto, the World Architecture Day offered an opportunity not only to sensitise the public on the role of architects, but also to inform them of the availability of quality training.

In the past, Cameroonian architects were trained abroad. It was against this backdrop that ESSACA was created in 2009 and inaugurated one year later under the patronage of the Head of State, Paul Biya and supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education. Students are admitted after competitive entrance examinations for a three-year Bachelor's degree and five-year Master's degree. Student architects take courses in Drawing, Geometry, Economy, Law, Arts and Architecture, amongst others.

Tuition fees sum up to FCFA 4 million, payable in instalments. "This is far cheaper than what is paid in North Africa and Europe," assured Jean Jacques Kotto. The first set of competitive entrance examinations for the 2012-2013 academic year starts today October 2 and ends on Thursday October 4. Candidates are holders of Baccalaureat and GCE Advanced Level qualifications in all series. Those taking one-year preparatory classes at FCFA 650,000 are exempted from the competitive entrance examinations.

Preparations for reopening on October 14 are underway. According to 22-year old Third Year student architect, Patrick Yossa, ESSACA's emphasis on architectural identity enables them to recreate the same buildings found abroad, but with inspiration from local cultural resources. On his part, 21-year old Third Year student, Jean Paul Ndongo, thinks students trained in Cameroon have a comparative advantage over those trained abroad for the former are in touch with African reality for which they are called upon to bring solutions.