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Prof Abdon Atangana receives one of Cameroon’s highest national honours

09 October 2025 | Story Martinette Brits | Photo Supplied

Prof Abon Atangana — Prof Abdon Atangana, leading applied mathematics scholar at the University of the Free State, who has been awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Valeur by the President of Cameroon in recognition of his outstanding contributions to science and international academic engagement.

In recognition of his exceptional contributions to science and for promoting a positive image of Cameroon internationally, Prof Abdon Atangana, a leading professor of applied mathematics at the University of the Free State (UFS), has been awarded one of the country’s highest national honours by His Excellency President Paul Biya.

Prof Atangana, who is based in the UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, was formally informed by the Cameroon High Commission in Pretoria that the President had decided to confer upon him the title Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Valeur (Knight of the Order of Valour).

“I am deeply honoured by this recognition and grateful to the High Commission for conveying the news,” said Prof Atangana.

The Ordre de la Valeur is one of Cameroon’s principal national distinctions, awarded to individuals who have rendered distinguished service or made significant contributions in fields such as science, public service, the arts, or international representation.

“The title Chevalier denotes formal national recognition by the President,” Prof Atangana explained. “It affirms the value of my work and encourages continued research, mentorship, and international collaboration.”

A career of global impact and recognition

Prof Atangana’s career is marked by both academic excellence and international engagement. He has consistently ranked among the top 1-2% of applied mathematicians worldwide, according to Stanford University’s global list. His achievements include being the first African mathematician under 40 to become a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences Affiliates, receiving the UNESCO–TWAS Mohammad A. Hamdan Prize, the AL Fozan UNESCO Award for STEM, and the African Genius Award.

He also serves as Chair of the African Mathematical Union Commission on Research and Innovation and is the first President of the African Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ASIAM).

In a historic milestone for African mathematics, Prof Atangana represented Africa for the first time at the Board Meeting of the International Council for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (ICIAM) in Vietnam in 2025. This prestigious gathering brings together presidents of national and international applied mathematics societies, including the President of the International Mathematical Union, and marks a significant recognition of his leadership on the global stage.

“Being named Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Valeur recognises years of sustained work and the support of many colleagues and students,” he said. “Professionally, it is an important encouragement to continue my research, mentoring, and international engagement.”

Beyond awards, Prof Atangana has actively promoted Cameroon’s profile in the international scientific community. He has built high-impact research collaborations, supervised and mentored students from Cameroon and across Africa, presented at international conferences, and published research connecting African science with global knowledge networks.

Advancing science through the UFS and international collaboration

Much of the work recognised by this honour has been conducted at the University of the Free State.

“The recognition reflects the outcomes of work done at the UFS and signals the university’s contribution to advancing regional research capacity and international partnership,” Prof Atangana said.

His academic engagement in South Africa has enabled him to act as a bridge between institutions, fostering joint research, student exchanges, and collaboration across continents. These activities demonstrate the power of academic engagement in promoting scientific excellence and strengthening international networks.

Looking ahead, Prof Atangana plans to leverage this recognition to expand collaborative research projects, create more opportunities for student exchanges and mentorship, and advance interdisciplinary initiatives addressing regional and global challenges.

“I will continue to promote the value of academic engagement in service of shared scientific and societal goals,” he said. “This recognition will inspire me to strengthen collaborative networks, pursue joint research initiatives, and mentor the next generation of researchers.”

Details of the official medal award ceremony will be shared by the Cameroon High Commission in due course.

News Archive

Game farming a lens to analyse challenges facing democratic SA – Dr Kamuti

2017-05-30

Dr Tariro Kamuti, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre
for Africa Studies at the University of the Free State.
Photo: Rulanzen Martin

One of the challenges facing South Africa’s developing game farming policy is the fractured state in the governance of the private game farming sector, says Dr Tariro Kamuti.

Dr Kamuti, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Africa Studies (CAS) at the University of the Free State (UFS), was presenting a seminar on Wednesday 17 May 2017 under the topic, Private Wildlife Governance in a Context of Radical Uncertainty: Challenges of South Africa’s Developing Game Farming Policy, which takes material from his PhD. He received his PhD from both the Vrije University in Amsterdam and the UFS in 2016.

His presentation explored how the private game industry positions itself in accordance with existing agricultural and environmental regulations. It also investigated the state’s response to the challenge of competing needs over land and wildlife resources which is posed by the gaming sector. “The transformation of the institutional processes mediating governance of the private game farming sector has been a long and enduring arrangement emerging organically over time,” Dr Kamuti said.

Game farming links wildlife and agricultural sectors
“I decided on this topic to highlight that game farming links the wildlife sector (associated with conservation and tourism) and the agricultural sector. Both make use of land whose resources need to be sustainably utilised to meet a broad spectrum of needs for the diverse South African population.

“The continuous skewed ownership of land post-1994 justifies questioning of the role of the state in confronting challenges of social justice and transformation within the economy.”

“Game farming can thus be viewed as a lens through which to study the broad challenges facing a democratic South Africa, and to interrogate the regulatory and policy framework in the agricultural and wildlife sectors at their interface,” Dr Kamuti said.

Challenges facing game farming policies
The state alone does not apply itself to the regulation of private gaming as a sector. “There is no clear direction on the position of private game farming at the interface of environmental and agricultural regulations, hence game farmers take advantage of loopholes in these institutional arrangements to forge ahead,” Dr Kamuti said.

He further went on to say that the state lacked a coherent plan for the South African countryside, “as shown by the outstanding land restitution and labour tenant claims on privately owned land earmarked for wildlife production”.

The South African government was confronted with a context in which the status quo of the prosperity of the middle classes under neoliberal policies was pitted against the urgent need to improve the material well-being of the majority poor. Unless such issues were addressed, this necessarily undermined democracy as a participatory social force, Dr Kamuti said.

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