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Life Worth Living is an initiative of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School.
University of Buea EDL 214
Higher Education Participation and Life Worth Living
Etta Mercy Aki, Ijang Bih Ngyah-Etchutambe, Njouny Emmanuel
Etta Mercy Aki is a higher education researcher advocating for meaningful education that translates individual aspirations to attainment.
Higher education is more than earning a degree—it is an opportunity to grow, discover purpose, and shape a life worth living. This course explores how intentional participation, reflection, and engagement can help students make the most of their university experience.
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Higher Education Participation and Life Worth Living
EDL 214
University of Buea
Taught by Dr. Etta Mercy Aki, Dr. Ijang Bih Ngyah-Etchutambe, and Dr. Njouny Emmanuel
Course Description
Higher education is a means to achieving students’ aspirations and visions of a life worth living. Higher education viewed as a means presents an opportunity for students to be active constructors of this reality. This course is geared towards helping undergraduate students to take conscious steps and actions in their everyday participatory activities. These activities may include but not limited to course attendance, relating with course materials, assessment, forming relationships, gaining opportunities, etc. The course is interdisciplinary rooted in major social science disciplines including leadership, development studies, psychology, philosophy, sociology. The course aims to provide knowledge, spark understanding and actions for effective participation in higher education. This is done through engaging students in reflective and deep questioning of the purpose of higher education that allows them to take conscious steps in getting out the best of their participation. The course uses the Life Worth Living core principles of existential meaning; commitment to truth seeking pluralism; first person engagement and Communities of Practice to explore three core questions including; what is the purpose of higher education? who is responsible for students’ effective participation in higher education? and what actions are required for effective participation?
Required readings
Week 5 (African philosophies and purpose of higher education)
Folon, B. (1978). The Genuine Intellectual. Buma Kor Publishing House. Pp 1-149 [read chapter 7 “The Genuine Intellectual” –pp 111-126 (16 pages)]
Week 7 (Aspirations and Capabilities)
Wallace, D. F. [read “This is Water – pp 1-8 (8 pages)
Week 9 (Circumstances and responsibility)
Miroslav, V., Mathew, C., & Ryan, M. (2023). Life Worth Living: A guide to what matters most. Penguin Random House. Pp 1-352
[read chapter 5 “What should we hope for?” – pp 62-76 (14 pages)
Week 11 (Forming habits)
King Jr, M. L. (1953). Strength to Love. Harper and Row Publishers. [read chapter IV “Love in action?” – pp 25-33 (8 pages)]
Higher Education Participation and Life Worth Living
EDL 214
University of Buea
Taught by Dr. Etta Mercy Aki, Dr. Ijang Bih Ngyah-Etchutambe, and Dr. Njouny Emmanuel
Course Description
Higher education is a means to achieving students’ aspirations and visions of a life worth living. Higher education viewed as a means presents an opportunity for students to be active constructors of this reality. This course is geared towards helping undergraduate students to take conscious steps and actions in their everyday participatory activities. These activities may include but not limited to course attendance, relating with course materials, assessment, forming relationships, gaining opportunities, etc. The course is interdisciplinary rooted in major social science disciplines including leadership, development studies, psychology, philosophy, sociology. The course aims to provide knowledge, spark understanding and actions for effective participation in higher education. This is done through engaging students in reflective and deep questioning of the purpose of higher education that allows them to take conscious steps in getting out the best of their participation. The course uses the Life Worth Living core principles of existential meaning; commitment to truth seeking pluralism; first person engagement and Communities of Practice to explore three core questions including; what is the purpose of higher education? who is responsible for students’ effective participation in higher education? and what actions are required for effective participation?
Required readings
Week 5 (African philosophies and purpose of higher education)
Folon, B. (1978). The Genuine Intellectual. Buma Kor Publishing House. Pp 1-149 [read chapter 7 “The Genuine Intellectual” –pp 111-126 (16 pages)]
Week 7 (Aspirations and Capabilities)
Wallace, D. F. [read “This is Water – pp 1-8 (8 pages)
Week 9 (Circumstances and responsibility)
Miroslav, V., Mathew, C., & Ryan, M. (2023). Life Worth Living: A guide to what matters most. Penguin Random House. Pp 1-352
[read chapter 5 “What should we hope for?” – pp 62-76 (14 pages)
Week 11 (Forming habits)
King Jr, M. L. (1953). Strength to Love. Harper and Row Publishers. [read chapter IV “Love in action?” – pp 25-33 (8 pages)]
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