Behold, the Open Dreams Scholars - Nchofon Tagha & Ghea Sandrine graduate from CMU-A!

Among those who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University Africa (CMU-Africa) Rwanda, this May 2026 is Nchofon Tagha Ghogomu, who earned a Master’s Degree in Information Technology, with a concentration in Applied Machine Learning.

During his undergraduate studies at the National Higher Polytechnic Institute of Douala, before moving to CMU-Africa, Nchofon designed the revolutionary Health Pad, a system aimed at simplifying medical data collection, storage, and management.

At the Master's level at CMU-Africa, he further deepened his expertise in Artificial Intelligence and systems development, focusing on building intelligent models capable of improving medical diagnosis and strengthening healthcare systems across Africa.

Nchofon joined Open Dreams in the summer of 2015 and was among the young pre-scholars who welcomed Open Dreams co-founders Cristina and Hans Kullberg during their inaugural visit to Cameroon that same year. At that memorable event, Nchofon Tagha, then an Upper Sixth student, stole the spotlight with a radio transmitter he had designed using locally sourced materials. Confidently demonstrating the prototype’s functionality and potential, he embodied the ingenuity and creativity that Open Dreams was determined to nurture. His bold engineering presentation deeply inspired the co-founders, who returned to the United States even more committed to investing in the human capital of exceptionally talented African students.

After completing high school at GBHS Atiela, where his father, Victor Tagha Ghogomu, once served as a Mathematics teacher (before ascending to the Regional Pedagogic Inspectorate of Science, West Region, Cameroon), Nchofon Tagha moved on to the University of Douala with an even greater determination to pursue his dreams. He later served for three years as the second Open Dreams Regional Program Coordinator for the Littoral Region, succeeding Mambo Joy, the pioneer coordinator for the Littoral.

Nchofon Tagha, his parents, and Dr. Burcu Akinci, who serves as the Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.

In pursuit of graduate studies, Nchofon relocated to Kigali, Rwanda, to join Carnegie Mellon University Africa. While there, he remained an active and dedicated member of the Open Dreams community, helping strengthen and sustain the partnership between Open Dreams and CMU-A, even during a period of institutional transitions at the admissions office.

During his studies, Nchofon Tagha had the opportunity to spend a semester at the main campus of Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, USA, immersing himself in an environment renowned for groundbreaking engineering research, advanced technological innovation, and pioneering solutions to real-world challenges.

In September 2024, Nchofon and members of the Open Dreams family at CMU-Africa warmly received Open Dreams Team members Guilian Asongtia and Akaba James at the Kigali airport during their visit to Rwanda for the annual Indaba of the HALI Access Network. Open Dreams is the lone HALI member organization in the CEMAC zone. During the visit, they hosted the delegation on CMU-Africa’s beautiful campus and further strengthened ties between the institution and Open Dreams.

Welcome to Cameroon on your very first visit, Mike Mulindwa (in a black top)

Today, as this story is being shared, Mike Mulindwa, the Associate Director of Student Recruitment at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, has arrived in Cameroon for the Academic Opportunity Jamboree organized by Open Dreams. The initiative brings together representatives from four Mastercard Foundation partner universities in Africa — University of Pretoria, Makerere University, University of Rwanda, and Carnegie Mellon University Africa. Set to run from May 18–23, 2026, the program will begin in Yaoundé before proceeding to the University of Buea and concluding at the University of Douala.

Through its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University Africa, the Mastercard Foundation continues to expand access to world-class technology and engineering education for talented young Africans, particularly those from underserved communities. The partnership is helping to build a new generation of African tech leaders, innovators, and problem-solvers equipped to use technology, entrepreneurship, and research to address the continent’s most pressing challenges and drive inclusive development.

The Promise Kept - Nchofon Tagha Ghogomu

Nchofon Tagha graduated alongside another Open Dreams Scholar, Ghea Sandrine. Over the past 8 years, more than 20 Open Dreams Scholars have studied at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, with semesters of exchange at the Pittsburgh-USA campus.

Ghea Sandrine - Master’s of Science in Artificial Intelligence (separate blog post loading)

Special appreciation to Abraham Darrel, the former Associate Director of Student Recruitment at Carnegie Mellon University Africa, whose consistent visits to Cameroon over several years helped identify and nurture exceptional young talent with global potential. Every child deserves a chance to thrive. ... Visit this link to sign up for the Academic Opportunity Jamboree, May 18 - 23, 2026.