The first-ever university jointly run by Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo will become operational in October, officials from the two countries said Friday.

The university is intended to reinforce sub-regional integration in Central Africa and “close the knowledge gap in higher education between Western countries and Africa,” officials said during a meeting in Cameroonian capital of Yaounde to agree on the functionality of the university.

“The motivation is to develop good relations between our two countries in higher education and to create technological excellence in the sub-region,” Cameroonian Minister of Higher Education Jacques Fame Ndongo told reporters at the meeting.

The university will train citizens of Cameroon, Congo and other African countries in such fields as agriculture, forestry, environmental protection and information and communication technology, he said.

Campuses of the university will be located in both countries, officials said.

Source: Xinhuanet