Bovinille’s journey into the world of chemical engineering began in a small rural town in the Southwest Region of Cameroon. Raised by his widowed mother after the early death of his father – and the subsequent loss of the family’s assets – he grew up balancing school with helping run his mother’s small business to fund his education. These early challenges forged in him a powerful sense of resilience, purpose, and discipline. “From a young age, I learned the value of hard work,” he recalls.
That hard work paid off. As a high school student, Bovinille distinguished himself as the top-ranked learner at his examination centre (Centre No. 1122) during the national Cameroon GCE Advanced Level exams. His academic talent naturally steered him toward engineering, and his childhood fascination with the towering distillation columns at Cameroon’s national oil refinery in Limbe further nudged him in the direction of chemical engineering. “I was fascinated by the towering vertical columns and industrial structures I saw there – curious about how crude oil was transformed into petrol, diesel, and kerosene. I would later learn that those massive columns were part of a chemical process known as distillation,” he recalls. That curiosity evolved into a clear academic path when he enrolled in the Chemical Engineering programme at the Catholic University Institute of Buea (CUIB), the only Cameroonian university offering a full programme in the discipline at the time.
Graduating with a BSc in Chemical Engineering in 2015, Bovinille’s journey could have taken a purely entrepreneurial turn. His final-year project matured into a viable business model, earning him selection for the prestigious Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme in 2016, from a pool of over 45,000 applicants across Africa. That same year, he joined the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) West Africa cohort, a leadership programme launched by former U.S. President Barack Obama. These recognitions confirmed that his work had significance beyond his local context. Still, he felt a deeper pull toward scientific research and technological innovation. “I longed to understand systems more deeply, to develop technologies that could drive sustainable development, and to contribute meaningfully to the advancement of engineering in Africa and beyond.”
That pull led him to pursue postgraduate studies. Yet with no Master’s programme in Chemical Engineering offered in Cameroon at the time – and limited financial means – studying abroad seemed out of reach. Then came a turning point: Bovinille discovered the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. “I was immediately drawn to the scholarship’s mission and values – leadership, reconciliation, entrepreneurship, and education – all of which resonated deeply with my personal and professional goals,” he explains.
In 2017, he became one of only 14 Cameroonians ever to receive the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship since its inception, which enabled him to enrol in the MEng (Research) programme in Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University. The professionalism and responsiveness of the department impressed him immediately. “Within minutes of my initial inquiry, they sent me a list of potential supervisors and research projects. That level of enthusiasm and support made me feel seen, valued, and academically at home.”
Culturally, the transition was eye-opening. Cameroon and South Africa, though both diverse, express identity in very different ways. “As a Black African, I was often greeted in isiXhosa or isiZulu,” he notes. “People were surprised when I could only respond in English – our official languages in Cameroon are English and French.” Yet he found connection and community through the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, which offered spaces for academic exchange and meaningful relationships during his time in South Africa.
His master’s research focused on the development of a thermosiphon photobioreactor for cultivating photosynthetic bacteria to generate renewable bioenergy. The project’s real-world implications, especially in waste valorisation and energy sustainability, resonated deeply with him. “It felt like a contribution to the long-term development goals of my home country,” he says, referring to Cameroon’s Vision 2035. A major milestone came when he published his research as first author in the high-impact Chemical Engineering Journal, a recognition that validated his scientific contributions and inspired him to pursue a PhD.
That next chapter took him to the United Kingdom, where he became one of only two Cameroonians awarded the prestigious Commonwealth PhD Scholarship in 2019. His doctoral research at the University of Manchester expanded on his master’s work, focusing on sustainable biofuel production and carbon capture technologies.
Following the completion of his PhD in 2023, Bovinille continued at the University of Manchester as a Postdoctoral Research Associate. There, he broadened his research into cellular agriculture in collaboration with the biotech company Cellcraft Ltd, focusing on cultivated meat production as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources. Drawing on both mechanistic modelling and machine learning, his work addressed the complex challenges of designing and scaling advanced bioreactor systems. His contributions during this period led to over 20 peer-reviewed publications and earned him the 2021 Commonwealth Research Impact Award for outstanding PhD research tackling global climate challenges.
Today, Bovinille is a Royal Society Career Development Fellow at the University of Manchester, where he leads independent research using data intelligence and digital twin technologies to optimise bioenergy processes. His current work focuses on integrating anaerobic digestion with algae photoproduction to produce biomethane more efficiently while recovering valuable resources. The goal is clear: to unlock a circular bioeconomy that is sustainable, efficient, and aligned with climate action goals. “My lifelong ambition is to pioneer innovations that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), and SDG 13 (Climate Action),” he says.
To aspiring engineers from Africa and other developing regions, his advice is clear and purposeful. “Apply broadly to competitive scholarships and leadership programmes like the Mandela Rhodes Foundation or the Commonwealth Scholarship – they are more than just financial support; they can open global networks and life-changing opportunities.”
He also encourages students to be intentional and strategic in their academic journeys. “My choices to study at Stellenbosch University and the University of Manchester were strongly influenced by how quickly and positively their departments responded to my initial inquiries,” he explains. That early academic receptiveness made a lasting impression and helped him feel immediately welcomed and supported.
He advises students to begin building a strong research and leadership portfolio early. “A strong publication record and demonstrated commitment to sustainable development go a long way when applying for research grants or fellowships,” he says. But just as important, he adds, is embracing the experience of studying and working in new cultural environments. “Cultural immersion builds resilience, widens your worldview, and helps you form a global professional network that will serve you for years to come.”
Beyond advice, Bovinille is passionate about the broader role African chemical engineers can and must play in addressing both local and global challenges. “Chemical engineers sit at the intersection of mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry – designing processes that transform raw materials into valuable products that fuel our economies and improve quality of life,” he says.
He notes that Africa, as one of the world’s youngest and fastest-growing continents, faces rising demand for energy, clean water, sustainable materials, and resilient infrastructure. These realities, he believes, create a unique opportunity, and responsibility, for African chemical engineers to lead transformative solutions in renewable energy, waste management, water purification, and sustainable manufacturing. “Ultimately, African chemical engineers have a critical role to play in shaping both local and global futures, and the time to rise to that challenge is now.”
Looking back, Bovinille credits each phase of his international academic journey with shaping him not just as an engineer, but as a person. In Cameroon, he learned to be resourceful. In South Africa, he encountered new paradigms of identity and leadership. And in the UK, he gained the skills to lead in high-stakes global science. “These international experiences have shaped me into an engineer who is both globally minded and locally grounded,” he reflects. “I design with empathy, lead with cultural awareness, and innovate with a clear purpose: to contribute to a more equitable and sustainable world.”
His journey is a testament to the power of persistence, scholarship, and vision – and a reminder that with the right opportunities, engineers from even the most modest beginnings can lead globally and give back meaningfully.
Alumnireeks:
’n Ingenieur van verandering – Die inspirerende reis van Bovinille Anye Cho
Bovinille se reis in die wêreld van chemiese ingenieurswese het begin in ’n klein plattelandse dorpie in die Suidwestelike Streek van Kameroen. Ná die vroeë dood van sy pa – en die gevolglike verlies van die gesin se bates – is hy deur sy weduwee-ma grootgemaak. Hy moes skool bywoon terwyl hy terselfdertyd sy ma gehelp het om haar klein besigheid aan die gang te hou om sy opvoeding te befonds. Hierdie vroeë lewensomstandighede het by hom ’n sterk sin vir veerkragtigheid, doelgerigtheid en dissipline gekweek. “Ek het van jongs af geleer wat die waarde van harde werk is,” vertel hy.
Sy harde werk het vrugte afgewerp. As hoërskoolleerder het Bovinille hom onderskei as die topleerling by sy eksamensentrum (Sentrum Nr. 1122) tydens die nasionale Kameroense GCE Gevorderde-vlak-eksamens. Sy akademiese talent het hom natuurlik in die rigting van ingenieurswese gelei, terwyl sy kinderjare se belangstelling in die indrukwekkende distillasiekolomme by Kameroen se nasionale olieraffinadery in Limbe, hom spesifiek na chemiese ingenieurswese aangetrek het. “Ek was gefassineer deur die hoë, vertikale kolomme en die industriële strukture wat ek daar gesien het – nuuskierig oor hoe ruolie omskep word in petrol, diesel en paraffien. Later het ek geleer dat dié massiewe kolomme deel is van ’n chemiese proses wat distillasie genoem word,” vertel hy. Hierdie nuuskierigheid het uiteindelik sy akademiese koers bepaal, en daartoe gelei dat hy ingeskryf het vir die Chemiese Ingenieurswese-program aan die Katolieke Universiteitsinstituut van Buea (Catholic University Institute of Buea – CUIB) – destyds die enigste universiteit in Kameroen wat ’n volledige program in dié veld aangebied het.
Ná sy BSc-graad in Chemiese Ingenieurswese in 2015 kon Bovinille se loopbaan maklik ’n uitsluitlik entrepreneursrigting ingeslaan het. Sy finalejaarprojek het ontwikkel in ’n lewensvatbare sakemodel, wat daartoe gelei het dat hy in 2016, uit meer as 45 000 aansoekers regoor Afrika, gekies is vir die gesogte Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurskap-program. Daardie selfde jaar is hy ook opgeneem in die Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) se Wes-Afrika-kohort – ʼn leierskapsprogram wat deur voormalige VSA-president Barack Obama van stapel gestuur is. Hierdie erkennings het bevestig dat sy werk betekenis het buite sy plaaslike konteks. Tog het hy ’n dieper roeping gevoel na wetenskaplike navorsing en tegnologiese innovasie. “Ek het daarna gesmag om stelsels beter te verstaan, om tegnologieë te ontwikkel wat volhoubare ontwikkeling kan dryf, en om betekenisvol by te dra tot die vooruitgang van ingenieurswese in Afrika en verder.”
Sy drang om meer te leer, het hom gemotiveer om verder te studeer. Maar omdat daar destyds geen meestersprogram in Chemiese Ingenieurswese in Kameroen aangebied is nie – en sy finansiële middele beperk was – het dit onmoontlik gelyk om in die buiteland te studeer. Toe volg ’n keerpunt: Bovinille ontdek die Mandela Rhodes-beurs. “Die beurs se missie en waardes – leierskap, versoening, entrepreneurskap en opvoeding – het sterk aanklank by my gevind, aangesien dit baie ooreenstem met my persoonlike en professionele doelwitte,” sê hy.
In 2017 word hy een van slegs 14 Kameroeners wat sedert die ontstaan van die Mandela Rhodes-beurs hierdie toekenning ontvang het. Dit het hom in staat gestel om vir die MIng (Navorsing)-program in Chemiese Ingenieurswese aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch in te skryf. Die departement se professionaliteit en vinnige reaksie het hom dadelik beïndruk. “Binne minute na my aanvanklike navraag het hulle vir my ’n lys van moontlike studieleiers en navorsingsprojekte gestuur. Dié vlak van entoesiasme en ondersteuning het my laat voel of ek raakgesien en waardeer word – en akademies tuis is.”
Kultureel was die oorgang vir hom ’n ware oogoopmaker. Beide Kameroen en Suid-Afrika is divers, maar die wyse waarop mense hul identiteit uitdruk, verskil heelwat. “As ’n swart Afrikaner is ek dikwels in isiXhosa of isiZulu gegroet,” vertel hy. “Mense was nogal verbaas toe ek net in Engels kon antwoord – ons amptelike tale in Kameroen is immers Engels en Frans.” Tog het hy deur die Mandela Rhodes-stigting ’n sterk gevoel van gemeenskap en verbondenheid gevind. Dit het vir hom waardevolle ruimtes geskep om akademies van ander te leer en betekenisvolle bande te smee tydens sy tyd in Suid-Afrika.
Sy meestersnavorsing het gefokus op die ontwikkeling van ’n termosifoon-fotobioreaktor om fotosintetiese bakterieë te kweek wat hernubare bio-energie kan produseer. Die praktiese toepaslikheid van die projek, veral op die gebied van afvalbenutting en volhoubare energie, het tot hom gespreek. “Dit het vir my gevoel asof ek ’n betekenisvolle bydrae lewer tot die langtermynontwikkelingsdoelwitte van my land,” sê hy, met verwysing na Kameroen se Visie 2035. ’n Groot hoogtepunt was toe hy sy navorsing as hoofskrywer in die invloedryke Chemical Engineering Journal kon publiseer – ’n erkenning wat sy wetenskaplike werk bevestig het en hom gemotiveer het om ’n PhD aan te pak.
Sy volgende hoofstuk het in die Verenigde Koninkryk afgespeel, waar hy in 2019 een van net twee Kameroeners was wat die gesogte Commonwealth PhD-beurs toegeken is. Sy doktorale navorsing aan die Universiteit van Manchester het voortgebou op sy meesterswerk en gefokus op volhoubare biobrandstofproduksie en koolstofopvangtegnologieë.
Ná hy sy PhD in 2023 voltooi het, het Bovinille by die Universiteit van Manchester aangebly as ʼn postdoktorale navorsingsgenoot. Hy het sy navorsing uitgebrei na sellulêre landbou, in samewerking met die biotegnologiemaatskappy Cellcraft Ltd, met ’n fokus op die produksie van gekweekte vleis as ’n volhoubare alternatief vir tradisionele proteïenbronne. Deur meganistiese modellering en masjienleer te kombineer, het hy die ingewikkelde uitdagings van die ontwerp en opskaal van gevorderde bioreaktorstelsels hanteer. Gedurende hierdie tyd het hy meer as 20 eweknie-beoordeelde werke gepubliseer en in 2021 die Commonwealth Navorsingsimpak-toekenning ontvang vir uitstaande PhD-navorsing wat wêreldwye klimaatsuitdagings aanspreek.
Vandag is Bovinille ’n Royal Society-loopbaanontwikkelingsgenoot aan die Universiteit van Manchester, waar hy onafhanklike navorsing lei wat data-intelligensie en digitale tweeling-tegnologieë gebruik om bio-energieprosesse te optimaliseer. Sy huidige werk fokus op die integrasie van anaerobiese vertering met alge-fotoproduksie om biometaan meer doeltreffend te vervaardig, terwyl waardevolle hulpbronne benut word. Die uiteindelike doel is om ’n volhoubare en effektiewe sirkelvormige bio-ekonomie te ontwikkel wat bydra tot wêreldwye klimaataksie. “My lewenslange droom is om innovasies te bevorder wat ’n betekenisvolle bydrae lewer tot die Verenigde Nasies se Volhoubare Ontwikkelingsdoelwitte, veral VOD 6 (Skoon Water en Sanitasie), VOD 7 (Bekostigbare en Skoon Energie) en VOD 13 (Klimaataksie),” sê hy.
Vir aspirant-ingenieurs van Afrika en ander ontwikkelende gebiede is sy raad duidelik en doelgerig. “Doen wyd aansoek vir mededingende beurse en leierskapsprogramme soos die Mandela Rhodes- of die Commonwealth-beurs – dit bied nie net finansiële ondersteuning nie, maar ook toegang tot wêreldwye netwerke en lewensveranderende geleenthede.”
Hy moedig studente aan om doelbewus en strategies te wees in hul akademiese reis. “My keuse om aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch en die Universiteit van Manchester te studeer, is grootliks beïnvloed deur hoe vinnig en positief hulle op my aanvanklike navrae gereageer het,” verduidelik hy. “Hulle vroeë akademiese ontvanklikheid het ’n diep indruk op my gemaak en my van meet af aan welkom en goed ondersteun laat voel.”
Hy raai studente aan om so vroeg moontlik te begin met die opbou van ’n sterk navorsings- en leierskapsportefeulje. “’n Gesonde publikasiegeskiedenis en ’n duidelike toewyding aan volhoubare ontwikkeling maak ’n groot verskil wanneer jy aansoek doen vir navorsingsbefondsing of beursskemas,” sê hy. Maar net so belangrik, voeg hy by, is om die geleenthede wat studeer en werk in nuwe kulturele omgewings bied, ten volle te benut. “Kulturele blootstelling bou veerkragtigheid, verbreed jou wêreldbeskouing en help jou om ’n wêreldwye professionele netwerk te vorm wat jou vir jare van waarde sal wees.”
Verder is Bovinille passievol oor die groter rol wat chemiese ingenieurs van Afrika kan en móét speel om plaaslike en wêreldwye uitdagings aan te pak. “Chemiese ingenieurs beweeg op die kruispad van wiskunde, fisika, biologie en chemie – hulle ontwerp prosesse wat rou materiale omskep in waardevolle produkte wat ons ekonomieë aandryf en lewenskwaliteit verbeter,” sê hy.
Hy wys daarop dat Afrika, as een van die wêreld se jongste en vinnigste groeiende vastelande, ’n groeiende vraag na energie, skoon water, volhoubare materiale en veerkragtige infrastruktuur ervaar. Hierdie realiteite skep volgens hom ’n unieke geleentheid en verantwoordelikheid vir Afrika-chemiese ingenieurs om leiers te wees in transformerende oplossings vir hernubare energie, afvalbestuur, water suiwering en volhoubare vervaardiging. “Afrika-chemiese ingenieurs het ’n belangrike taak om die toekoms plaaslik en wêreldwyd te vorm – en die tyd om dié uitdaging aan te pak, is nou.”
Terugskouend erken Bovinille dat elke fase van sy internasionale akademiese reis hom nie net as ingenieur nie, maar ook as mens gevorm het. In Kameroen het hy geleer om vindingryk en selfstandig te wees. In Suid-Afrika het hy nuwe insigte in identiteit en leierskap gekry. En in die Verenigde Koninkryk het hy die vaardighede ontwikkel om in ’n veeleisende, wêreldwye wetenskaplike omgewing leiding te neem. “Hierdie internasionale ervarings het my gevorm tot ’n ingenieur wat sowel wêreldwyd dink as plaaslik geanker is,” reflekteer hy. “Ek ontwerp met empatie, lei met kulturele bewustheid en innoveer met ’n duidelike doel: om by te dra tot ’n meer regverdige en volhoubare wêreld.”
Sy reis getuig van die krag van deursettingsvermoë, toewyding en visie – en herinner ons daaraan dat ingenieurs, selfs vanuit die eenvoudigste begin, met die regte geleenthede ’n wêreldwye impak kan maak en betekenisvol kan teruggee.
