In May 1978, ENSA (Ecole Nationale Supérieure Agronomique) in Yaounde and the Institute for Agricultural Technologies in Dschang were incorporated into the UCD.

In 1981, the University of Florida was selected on a competitive basis to design that assistance, through what was named the Agricultural Education Project.

It was a time when the government of Cameroon had decided to place academic institutions in key corners of the country.

Upon his departure, Owona was replaced by Professor Jean Mfoulu who was transferred from the Ministry, where he was Director for Higher Education.

He was highly respected by the Dschang faculty, many of whom had also studied at the University of Yaounde where Mfoulou was a professor.

He pointed out, for example, that the University of Yaounde was teaching its students about European philosophers when the country (Cameroon) could not feed all its people.

Sending so many (almost half of UCD staff) for long-term studies put a huge burden on the remaining faculty and students.

Only the strong collaborative spirit of the remaining faculty – American, Belgium, Cameroonian, and French - and the use to teaching assistants from external institutions saw UCD through the difficult time.

It was increasingly involved in regional training and collaborative research with international agencies like IITA, ILRI (formerly ILCA), and ICIPE.