Leadership as usual: rethinking university leadership evolution in Cameroon since the 1993 reforms. A critical reflection

This critical-reflective article examines the evolution of university leadership in Cameroon since the 1993 higher education reforms, which sought to promote decentralisation, institutional autonomy and professionalisation. Drawing on legislation, policy documents, institutional reports and scholarly literature, the study employs postcolonial, neo-institutional and transformational leadership theories as complementary analytical lenses to examine why reform objectives have resulted in limited governance transformation. Documentary analysis suggests three paradoxes: decentralisation accompanied by continued control, reform rhetoric only partially reflected in institutional practice and professionalisation of academic programmes without corresponding attention to leadership development. The evidence suggests these paradoxes reflect symbolic rather than substantive changes in governance, highlighting tensions between policy aspirations and governance realities. This work contributes to scholarship on higher education leadership by demonstrating how postcolonial and neo-institutional dynamics help explain the persistence of centralised governance. Furthermore, it highlights Cameroon’s bilingual and bicultural higher education context. Finally, it proposes transformational, context-sensitive leadership approaches informed by indigenous paradigms. The analysis suggests that strengthening institutional autonomy, leadership development, participatory governance and transparent appointment processes may contribute to more responsive and contextually grounded university leadership. This study offers conceptual, methodological and practical insights into ongoing debates on the persistent tensions between reform expectations and governance realities.