IAP Network Mag 1st Edition

IAPNETW RKINTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL NETWORK




U.S. COLLEGE FAIR Douala + Yaounde, Cameroon / Africa / March 17-21, 2016

Essec and La Falaise Hotel

INSIDE

Study abroad throughIAP Network PAGE 8

Meet the conference speakers PAGE 5

Discover Africa! PAGE 14

IAP Network CEO Anthony Tchakounte recounts his own collegiate journeyPAGE 6

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U.S. COLLEGE FAIR 3

CONTENTS

The 886,052 international students and their families at universities and colleges across the country supported 340,000 jobs and contributed $26.8 billion to the U.S. economy during the 2013-2014 academic year, accord-ing to 2014 National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA) findings. This is a 8.5% increase in job support and creation, and a nearly 12% increase in dollars contributed to the economy from the previous academic year.

International students not only contribute economic value, they build bridges between the United States and other countries.

Having more international students on university campuses does the following:

1. Brings global perspectives into U.S. classrooms and research labs.

2. Support U.S. innovation through science and engineering coursework.

3. Makes it possible for U.S. colleges and universities to offer specific courses to U.S. students.

4. Supports programming and services on campus for all students by paying out-of-state tuition, funded largely by non-U.S. sources.

This US College Fair hosted by the IAP Network gives universities and colleges access to over 30,000 prospective undergraduate and graduate students in the Douala and Buea communities. These students are eager to join the American post-secondary education markets.

U.S. COLLEGE FAIR

WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT

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Conference Schedule

Conference Speaker Bios

Going The Distance:IAP Network’sCEO Anthony Tchakounte

Get to KnowIAP Network

IAP NetworkTestimonials

ELS + IAP Network

Cameroon:At a Glance

Discover Africa

Douala Points of Interest

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SCHEDULEIN DOUALASaturday, March 19 9 am Arrival at the University of Douala 9:30 am Higher education summit begins 11:30 am Coffee break & workshop 12 pm - 5 pm U.S. College Fair begins • College applications • Scholarship applications 7 pm - 8:30 pm Dinner with high school directors

IN YAOUNDEMonday, March 21 9 am Arrival at La Falaise Hotel 9:30 am Higher education summit begins

11:30 am Coffee break and workshop 12 pm - 5 pm U.S. College Fair begins (US college booths opened to prospective students) • College applications • Scholarship applications 6 pm - 7:30 pm Dinner with Some high school Direc-tors and US college representatives

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U.S. COLLEGE FAIR SPEAKERS

Anthony TchakounteAnthony is a serial entrepreneur and a strong believer in the power of education. His dedication and a passion about innovation is a drive towards his achievements. During the past years, he has been the V.P of Finance for a new technology development and commercialization organization. Beside the IAP Network, Anthony founded other companies in the USA serving diverse industries. Anthony received the Entrepreneurial Spirit Award in 2014 from Jones Walker, one of the largest law firm in the USA with over 390 attorneys.

Shane Puckett | Speaking from 9:40 am to 10 am

Shane has been a professor of communication studies for 10 years. He started working with the international community back in the days as an intern in London, UK. He taught at Truman State University. Shane is the director of debate at Louisiana Tech University. He also served as an officer in the United States Navy.

Simon Gooch | Speaking from 10 am to 10:20 am

Simon Gooch has been working in the field of international student recruitment for 16 years. For the last 4 years, he has been employed by ELS Educational Services, Inc., the leading provider of international pathway programs in North America, and during that time he has focused primarily on assisting students from West Africa to achieve their goal of entering a community college or university in USA or Canada. He has person-ally visited over 30 U.S. campuses across 10 different states and is therefore looking forward to helping to explain the different types of institutions that are available in North America and to assist you in making the best possible choice according to your academic achievements, budget and personal preferences. Mr. Gooch majored in French and European Studies at the University of East Anglia, UK and is therefore ready to assist Francophone students in their goal of pursuing Higher Education in an English-speaking country.

Vinita Bali | Speaking from 10:20 am to 10:35 am

Vinita Bali is the Dean of International Student Programs at the Foothill-De Anza Community College Dis-trict in California. The Foothill-De Anza Community College District, located in the heart of Silicon Valley just south of San Francisco, serves 4,000 international students from over 100 countries around the world. The Dean’s responsibilities encompass all areas of international program design and development, includ-ing student services, admissions, immigration, alumni development, and marketing.

Peg Saragina | Speaking from 10:40 am to 11 am

Peg Saragina is the Director of International Programs at Santa Rosa Junior College and is responsible for coordinating efforts to recruit international students who wish to attend college for the purpose of further-ing their education and becoming a global citizen. Ms. Saragina has been dedicated to education for over 30 years. In her professional career, she has served as a business instructor, Chair of the Business Depart-ment, and Coordinator of vocational programs. As an instructor and mentor, Ms. Saragina encouraged and aided students with their educational goals – whether their aim be transferring to a university or attaining the completion of a certificate program.

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Words by RACHEL MAXWELL

For many high school seniors, the col-lege application process is relatively easy. For international students, the process is more difficult, and for Afri-

can students seeking an American education, that same process can take years. Anthony Tchakounte, CEO of the International Aca-demic and Professional Network, is working to make that process easier for students in the Central African region.

The IAP Network offers placement and edu-cational services to students in African coun-tries who are seeking a western education, as well as support in their transition into the U.S.

“IAP is for the struggle of international stu-dents to get in the U.S.,” he said. “Most of us have the funds needed to pursue a U.S. higher education. We have the will, but we don’t have the directives, the guidance, to get through the process.”

Tchakounte, a junior finance major, said his inspiration behind starting the company was his own two-year experience trying to navigate the United States’ higher education admission process.

“It took me two years trying to get access to U.S. college education,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do, who to contact or how to go about the process in general”

Despite these hardships Anthony was deter-

mined to see his dream through, and was final-ly admitted at Grambling State University.

His journey in the USA began differently than most international students, and with few resources to help him navigate his transition into the U.S., he faced many challenges.

“When I got into the USA, I had $200 in my pocket; my dad told me it was enough for me to live for 3 months,” he said. “When he left me, he told me one thing; ‘I’m sending you to be successful.’”

Tchakounte said IAP offers support for stu-dents once they are enrolled at the universi-ties as well as guidance through the admission process.

“While they are here, we offer support groups, when someone is entering a new country you have to assimilate them to the culture,” he said. “When I got here, I had no-body to tell me, ‘this is where you can go to buy your books, this is who you can talk to if you have some issues within your academic frame, these are the people you can hang out with. It’s all about getting familiar with a new culture.”

Shane Puckett, instructor of communication at Tech, was introduced to the IAP Network through a new venture program at Tech for which he is a mentor. Anthony Tchakounte, CEO, recognized that Puckett’s experience working with international institutions, partic-ularly African states, would help him grow his

GOING THE DISTANCEThe International Academic and Professional Network helps prospective students from Central Africa find their academic home

U.S. COLLEGE FAIR 7

business, and asked him to join the team as an executive member.

As IAP’s Vice President of Business develop-ment, Puckett works with foreign consulates, U.S. embassies and school directors to create relationships between state agencies, foreign high schools and U.S. universities for the net-work.

Puckett said it was Anthony’s character as much as the business that persuaded him to sign on.

“He’s driven; he’s focused,” Puckett said. “Whenever you see someone with that type of tenacity, you want to kind of tail onto their ventures, because they’re going to be suc-cessful, and I knew that my skill set could help get him there.”

Along with work experience in the area, Puckett holds a graduate degree in higher education administration and masters in communica-tion studies, and is current-ly a doctoral candidate in higher education adminis-tration.

Puckett said his position as director of debate at Tech made him realize that there is need for diversity in U.S. schools.

“Increasing diversity on college campuses, from Africa specifically, would make it so that African states weren’t so unknown. People would stop referring to Africa as a country, and may get to know Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, Equato-rial Guinea, Nigeria, etc. We would understand that these cultures and value systems are vastly different.”

GOING THE DISTANCE

AnthonyTchakounteCEO, IAP NETWORK

I. UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT SERVICES

Expedited admission in Selected US institutions Student receives his I-20 and admission letter 7 days after IAP Network receives the complete paperwork.

Testing Services and online RegistrationTesting Services supports our student to prepare for college by providing high-quality assessment services. We also provide the resources they need for the preparation of exams such as: TOEFL, GMAT, LSAT, GRE etc.

II. FINANCIAL SERVICES

Online PaymentsServices such as tuition payment assistance, online test registration and other services required by our students. We also assist them with a college tuition payment plan.

III. SUPPORT GROUPSWe help our students during the transition period once they arrive at their study destination.

Our support services include:Tutoring Our Students benefit from IAP tutoring services in their respective colleges. They also have the possibility to re-ceive online assistance 24/7.

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BRIDGING THE GAPThe International Academic

and Professional network; IAP Network, based in Ruston, LA has one of the fastest growing programs for African student placements into institutions in the USA and elsewhere in the world. IAP provides exceptional educa-tional services to students inter-ested in studying abroad, while aiding cultural transition with services tailored to their needs.

OUR VISIONCreated in 2012, the company

quickly identified a growing need to promote international college placement programs across Africa.

The company commenced a strategic partnership with ELS Educational Services, Inc. in sum-mer 2015 to help raise awareness of international study opportuni-ties among African students and to make international universi-ties more aware of the caliber of students in the region. Currently, only 5 percent of the international student population in USA is from Africa.

Our Vision is to promote foreign higher education in African coun-tries by providing the assistance these students need to pursue de-grees in their country of interest.

IAP Network guarantees high quality placements, ensuring that our students are able to use and develop the skills they have learned at university.

IAP NETWORK SERVICES

U.S. COLLEGE FAIR 9

TESTIMONIALSStudents speak about the many opportunities they have gained through IAP Network

Wilson Meli“I had a lot of struggles when I graduated from high school. It was hard for me to navigate through the US College system in which I had alot of interest. Also, I had some concerns about my english language level. Through IAP, I learned about the intensive language program offered by ELS. They also assisted me in getting admitted in both the english program and to Louisiana Tech University in the biomedical engineering program.”

Christina Ngosso“Working with IAP Network was one of the most important thing that happened to me. Like majority of other high school graduates, the lack of infor-mation and guidance made it difficult for me to go through the US College admission process. Thanks to IAP Network I was admitted at GSU and grant-ed a scholarship as well. My experiences here are wonderful thanks to the type of people I meet and surround myself with everyday.”

Sankara Ekane“The first hardship I faced was how to find for a US College with my desired program of study. After a couple of months I realized that I was commit-ting myself to something I did not have a perfect mastery of. I was admitted to the ELS language program which helped me a lot to develop and improve my English language skills. As organization, IAP Network created connections between me and the universities for which I had an interest. They also took care of my accommodation and support in my new environment.”

Lucie Doumbe“After completing my Bsc from the University of Buea, I had plans to pursue my graduate studies in the USA. Luckily I was referred to IAP by some friends. My experience with IAP was great, their ex-pedited admission process in less than 72 hours was awesome, and I was granted a scholarship as well. They provided me with all the assistance I needed once in the USA. I will definitely recommend you to trust their service.”

Academic Counseling Our counselors are university teachers who provide coun-seling to our students upon request.

• Connecting them with student and professional organizations• Orientation weekends• Group travel• Student pick up upon arrival

IV. INSURANCESHealth Insurances We offer affordable insurance policies which covers up to 80% of your medical expenses.

Travel Insurances This insur-ance policy covers medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either inter-nationally or within one’s own country.

V. ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS

On-Campus We assist stu-dents to book on campus housing during the college application process.

Off-Campus Students will have the choice to select apartments and the lease term (3, 6, 12 months). IAP proceeds and makes ar-rangements on behalf of the student.

VI. INTERNSHIPS AND VOLUNTEERING

IAP Network connects inter-national students after grad-uation to job opportunities. We also give you the oppor-tunity to get some volunteer-ing experience with some nonprofit organizations.

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ELS:Words by SIMON GOOCH

ABOUT ELSELS Educational Services offers

55 years of expertise in helping international students—more than 1,100,000 to date— to achieve their personal and pro-fessional goals through English preparation and academic suc-cess skill preparation. ELS assists international students select and gain entry to higher education institutions around the world, in-cluding in Australia, Canada, Eu-rope, India and the United States according to their academic pro-file and personal preferences.

ELS has the largest network of campus-based English language instruction centers in the world (ELS Language Centers), offering over 80 study locations includ-ing centers in Australia, Canada, China, Europe, India, Malaysia and the USA, with the majority of locations on university campus-es. More than 650 universities worldwide accept completion of an advanced ELS level (Intensive English Program) as proof of En-glish proficiency, thereby meeting the English language proficiency requirement of admission.

ELS helps develop international student recruitment strategy with its partner universities and col-leges on an individualized basis – some of our closest partners engage regularly with ELS to the extent that they may participate

frequently on tours organized by ELS to key strategic markets overseas to recruit qualified inter-national students. In some cas-es, ELS is fully responsible for a partner institution’s international student recruitment. In addition, ELS provides a solution for those universities who do not have their own Intensive English program as ELS is open to establishing an ELS English language center on the campus of interested partner institutions, which allows them to attract and recruit international students who meet the academic requirements of that institution, but who lack the English lan-guage skills: to date, more than 60 universities worldwide have taken advantage of this solution.

In success-fully recruiting students from more than 100 countries in the world, ELS has also developed and maintains

a network of approximately 2000 agent partners, who use their local market knowledge to assist ELS in selecting the most effective means to promote ELS and its partner institutions. ELS’s partner institutions have access to this extensive agent network to assist them in their student recruitment efforts.

In September 2015, ELS invited a select group of agent partners from 6 countries (Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, France, Switzerland, Togo and Turkey) to visit 15 ELS language centers and partner

institutions during a 10-day tour. This tour included visits to centers in Boston, New Haven (Con-necticut), New York, Atlan-tic City and Camden (New Jersey), Los Angeles, Santa

Barbara, San Francisco and the Silicon Valley area.

The aim of the tour was to introduce the concept of a cam-pus-based language center as operated by ELS as well as to the strengths of a number of our partner institutions to our agent partners, so that they can more successfully promote these locations and identify suitable clients for these institutions in the future.

THE FAM TOURSo-called ‘Familiarization Tours’

have played a key part in driving increased student numbers to both ELS and its partner insti-tutions as our agent partners tend to feel more comfortable in promoting a particular university or college after having visited the campus, viewed the facilities and also having met both the local ELS staff and the key staff at the university responsible for inter-national student admissions. ELS expects to see similar growth in student numbers as a result of this tour, especially from the de-veloping markets of West Africa.

Simon Gooch

Partnering with IAP Network to help international students reach their goals

U.S. COLLEGE FAIR 11

ELS COMMUNITY COLLEGE PATHWAY Q. What is a Community College?

A Community College is an option for students who have completed high school in their home coun-try and who wish to continue their Higher Education in an English-speaking country. Students may opt to complete a 2-year Associate Degree at a community college or they may transfer their community college credits to a 4-year university and go on to complete their Bachelor degree. (a 2+2 option)

Q. I want a Bachelor Degree. Why go to a Community College first?

• Lower tuition fees• Lower English Language proficiency requirement • Easier admission standards• Smaller classes and more individual attention• Credits earned may be transferable even into highly ranked universities• Some highly ranked universities, including six of the University of California campuses, offer guaranteed admission to many of their degree programs if students complete the pre-defined requirements, such as earning a certain minimum grade point average (GPA)

Q. If I study at a Community College and then transfer to a University to complete my Bachelor degree, what diploma will I receive?

You will receive the standard Bachelor Degree Diploma from the university where you spent your third and fourth year of study.

Q. Is it really possible to enter top universities such as University of California, Berkeley via a Community College Pathway?

Yes. Of course you will need to achieve an excellent GPA during your 2 years of study at your chosen Community College, but it is possible.

Some top-ranked University of California campuses such as UC Davis and UC Irvine will even guaran-tee your admission for certain programs if you complete the requirements of the Transfer Admission Guarantee program. More info can be found at: http://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/tag-matrix.pdf.

Q. How will ELS help me to enter a Community College?

ELS has partnered with many leading Community Colleges across the United States, including over 50 in California alone.

CAMEROON: At a GlanceLeftA marathon runner races down Mount Cameroon.

BelowColorful structure located in Banganté, Cameroon.

RightCameroonian

professional footballer,

Samuel Eto’o.

Above Local Cameroonian cuisine.

Above One of many breathtaking Cameroonian views.

Photo by JBDODANE

Photo by JBDODANE

Photo by JBDODANE



AFRICAToday, Africa is mainly represented by non-Africans via various forms of media. They usually talk about a sordid continent where only famine, wars, poverty and other scourges happen. After numerous trips to different countries across Africa, one realizes that the continent has multiple sides: beautiful landscapes, vibrant cities, warm and mostly welcoming people, a myriad of opportunities and important challenges.

Agbokim Waterfalls, Cross River StateIKOM, NIGERIA

Situated 17 kilometres from Ikom, close to the Nige-ria-Cameroon border, is the Agbokim Waterfall; a collection of seven cas-cades which pour over a cliff creating an impressive seven-part waterfall.

ADDITIONAL CAMEROON ATTRACTIONS

HIKE MOUNT CAMEROON Mount Cameroon, at 13,353 feet (4,070 meters,) is the highest point in Cameroon. It rises almost straight out of the coast, through a tropical rain forest, and has a bare summit that is sometimes dusted with snow.

PARC NATIONAL DE WAZA Featuring snapshot-worthy animals, the park can be viewed by automobile (a park guide is required for each vehicle).

LIMBE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN This zoo has a wide array of primates, such as gorillas and chimpanzees. Visitors can also see cages that the animals lived in before their rescue as well as a moody crocodile and an imposing python.

BOTANICAL GARDEN Started by German horticulturers to grow medicinal plants, the Botanical Garden, is the place to see nearly 1,500 medicinal trees.

BIMBIA SLAVE TRADE SITE Just as Senegal and Ghana have Goree and Elmina, respectively, Cameroon has Bimbia, the slave port that was active during the infamous Atlantic Slave Trade.

TRAVEL INFORMATION CURATED BY VISITER L’AFRIQUE. FOR MORE INFO GO TO VISITERLAFRIQUE.COM.

U.S. COLLEGE FAIR 15

SOUTH AFRICA

Mount Kilimanjaro TANZANIA

It is the highest mountain in Africa, and rises approxi-mately 4,877 metres (16,001 ft) from its base to 5,895 metres (19,341 ft) above sea level. The mountain is part of the Kili-manjaro National Park and is a major climbing destination. The mountain has been the subject of many scientific stud-ies because of its shrinking glaciers.

The Great Pyramid of GizaGIZA, EGYPT

The Great Pyramid of Giza is the most substantial ancient structure in the world - and the most mysterious. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders

of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact.

The Royal Palace of Foumban FOUMBAN, CAMEROON

The Royal Palace of Foumban in Cameroon is one of the oldest palaces in the history of Africa. The Palace was renovat-ed and completed in 1917 after which the belong-ings of previous Sultans were arranged and kept for tourist attraction.

Designed by artist Marco Cianfanelli (of Apartheid Museum fame) with the help of architect Jeremy Rose, the sculpture cre-ates something of an optical illusion. From a distance, the 50 steel poles of vary-ing heights simply look like a random collection of poles, but as you approach to within 35m of the sculpture, they merge to form an image of Mandela’s face.

Nelson Mandela Capture SiteHOWICK, SOUTH AFRICA


DOUALAP O I N T S O F I N T E R E S T

A

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YAOUNDE

DOUALA

A Douala International Airport B University of Douala

OUR SERVICES INCLUDE

UNIVERSITY PLACEMENT

SERVICES

ONLINE TEST

REGISTRATION

HEALTH INSURANCES

TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION

CONTACT US [email protected] VISIT US ONLINE AT IAPNETWORK.COM





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IAP Network Mag 1st Edition