Cosendai Adventist University

Adventist University Cosendai (AUC) is located in Nanga-Eboko, a small town in the central region of Cameroon where the first Adventist mission station and school were established in 1926 and 1928, respectively. The University was named in honour of Aime and Madeleine Cosendai, faithful missionaries who committed their lives to the advancement of Christianity and the development of Adventist education in Cameroon. They spent the greater part of their service in Nanga-Eboko until retirement. The institution has been known by various names through the years and its contribution to the church and to the country has been significant. The Cameroon Bible and Teacher training course opened her doors in 1936. In 1969 the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventists authorized a two-year post-secondary program. Between 1972 and 1984, a ministerial training seminary operated on the campus alongside the secondary school. This seminary was closed in 1984 as the Adventist University of Central Africa in Mudende, Rwanda began offering its programs. Due to the civil war in Rwanda, however, the Universityof Central Africa was forced to cease operation in April, 1994. Four francophone universities replaced it—one of which was Adventist University Cosendai. It restarted in 1995, with instruction beginning in June 1996. The University came into existence by action taken by the Africa-India Ocean Division (AID) on June 6, 1995, at its session in Douala in the Republic of Cameroon. The concept of a multi-campus university designed to serve the francophone constituency of the church was discussed at some length and then whole-heartedly approved, since the doors of the Adventist University of Central Africa were closed. The name given to the new university was Adventist International University. At its meeting in Utrecht, Netherlands on July 5, 1995, however, the International Board of Education requested that another name be selected for the new University, and that the four francophone campuses operate as separate institutions. In response to this request, the name Adventist International University was changed to Adventist University Cosendai for the institution in Cameroon on September 18, 1995, by the AID Committee in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.