The spotlight is on Ahmath Bamba Mbacke, lecturer, L’École Supérieure Polytechnique, Senegal.

Senegal, with 18 million inhabitants, is the westernmost country of West Africa. The capital, Dakar, is home to the country’s largest university, l’Université Cheikh Anta DIOP (UCAD), with 100,000 students. The university is parent to L’École Supérieure Polytechnique (ESP), the higher polytechnical institute of Dakar, a professional training establishment under the supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education. ESP prepares students for careers in chemical, mechanical, electrical, and civil engineering, computer science, and business.

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke is a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer Science, teaching database technology in two-year daytime and evening undergraduate courses covering software engineering, information security, AI, and big data. He uses Oracle Academy database and Java resources in these courses.

Mbacke holds a masters degree in Computer Engineering from UCAD. He is the President of the Internet Society Senegal Chapter (ISOC-SN) and is Advisory Committee representative for Senegal to the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In addition, he is vice-president of ASCII, the Senegalese association of computer science researchers, and has published many articles on the application of technology to teaching.

Oracle Academy: How did ESP become involved with Oracle Academy?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: Before Oracle Academy, we had two big problems. Firstly, our approach was purely Open Source, and MySQL was selected for database teaching. But over time I felt the need for a more balanced, professional backing. The database courses were mainly done using MySQL, and this gave a vision of everything Open Source, but I needed to complete with a more balanced, professional view of the tools available. Not everything is Linux and APT (Advanced Package Tool). Secondly, as interest in our courses grew, I needed a more formal framework for license management. My proposition to the Board was to become a member of Oracle Academy. This would give us access to the number one database used in industry worldwide. An additional motivation was that students would receive Oracle Academy completion certificates at the end of their two-year courses.

Oracle Academy: And so, you influenced ESP to become a member…

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: I presented the obvious advantages of having a world leading platform free of charge, and we joined immediately; this was back in 2018. But I must reveal another, almost secret motivation, because at that time I was coordinator of computer systems for the establishment. Twenty years ago, UCAD, our parent university, adopted the Oracle database for development of its student management systems. With 100,000 students annually you can imagine the huge volume of data this represents.

Oracle Academy: Very pleased to hear that angle! Are you the only lecturer using the resources?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: There are three of us trained to teach Oracle Academy: myself and one other for database courses, and a colleague who teaches Java. In my classes, encompassing 120 students per semester, I use Database Foundations, Database Design, Database Programming with SQL, and Database Programming with PL/SQL. We use Oracle APEX throughout with Oracle Cloud.

I teach Oracle Database transversally across my courses in database design, software engineering, security and big data, at undergraduate level and in master classes.

Oracle Academy: Do you use the full curriculum?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: I have been teaching Oracle for over 15 years and know the content extremely well. So, for my courses in database, SQL and PL/SQL, I have built my own slides, which serve to introduce students to these concepts. This is because the duration of the courses does not allow me to include the great level of detail contained in the Oracle Academy curriculum; we do not evolve at the same speed. I do, however, translate the slides concerning standards such as architecture and administration. It’s a blended approach.

But then, one fifth of the way through my course, I give each student an Oracle Cloud account, giving them online access to the platform so that they can then at their own pace go in and see all the details they might need for homework, for exams, for moving ahead.

Oracle Academy: With over 100 students that looks like a good strategy. What type of practical exercises do they get?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: They work in small groups on case studies that I construct each year. In 2024 during presidential elections in Senegal I gave them the task of simulating election organization, creating a system for management and validation of candidates, electoral inscription, the voting process, and publication of the results. They designed the system either by hand or with Oracle Designer, implemented the script, implemented the database, and created an interface. For the interface I asked them to use both APEX and a GUI tool invoking RESTful APIs. As deliverables they produced the platform, the project documentation and also a GIT repository for storing the code, documents and so forth. For GIT I asked them to make no more than three commits per month.

Oracle Academy: That must have been exciting and motivating. Any others use cases?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: This year I came up with another situation. The task was to conduct discovery, understand needs, and build an application. They could interview the owner of a small shop, or a tailor, a plumber or a larger-scale enterprise, the process being similar. They had to deliver a report on the activities and organization of the business, its requirements; the conceptual design of an appropriate database and its UI; and finally, their job was to build the database and application end-to-end, a project report, and furnish a URL for my evaluation. At the end of the exercise, they were to give the report and the link to the prospective customer for testing.

This process was enjoyable for everyone. They got to grips with real life, found out what discovery entails. They learned not only how to root out functional requirements, but also non-expressed wishes, how to adapt the language of non-technical to the most suitable tool kit. As one of my former teachers said, ‘A good IT person is not just technically apt, they are above all a good communicator,’ and that the solution must be tailored to the needs. Tailor-made! It may be ‘old school’ today, but it’s still relevant. Once the true need has been winkled out, anyone can develop the solution.

Oracle Academy: You have mentioned use of APEX. How do you use it in the teaching process?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: At the beginning of my courses, I show the DB-Engines ranking site, which always has first Oracle then MySQL as numbers one and two. I tell them that Oracle is top because it’s used worldwide due to reliability and simplicity of use. I then show how APEX, which sits on top of the Oracle database, contributes to its success. I explain how in the past, we usually kept the development and the database side of things separate. If you were working with MySQL, for example, your main job was just to set up and manage the database, while the actual application was built somewhere else. But with Oracle APEX, everything is connected. The database and the development framework live in the same place, so you can build apps, manage data, and manage admin tasks all in one environment, often with just a few clicks. What it really shows is that there are diverse ways to design systems. And even though APEX makes simple development incredibly fast, it still gives you the option to dive into more complex coding when you need to.

That’s why I incorporate APEX into all our courses.

Oracle Academy: That must be a powerful message…

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: Yes, I want students to go beyond the database PL/SQL, so they can see how things have evolved. For example, Oracle now includes object-oriented features — you can create classes, use inheritance, work with object types, and handle collections. By exploring these object-oriented capabilities, students can understand how modern databases integrate directly with application development. It shows how everything connects all the way through to the front-end environment.

Oracle Academy: Excellent. And do you encourage students to become professionally certified?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: In Africa, the cost of taking Oracle professional certification examination courses is prohibitive, in the $1,500-$2,000 bracket. The way I handle this is as follows. Already they receive completion certificates for having taken Oracle Academy courses. I explain that there is an equivalence in many modules between the completion certificates and professional certification in terms of the content. Taking Oracle Academy courses for free as a student gives one the skills necessary for passing Oracle Professional Associate exams, which cost $200. So, my message is, you are well prepared during your two years at ESP, and do not need to pay for the OPA course, but when you are working and earning money, then spend the $200 on the exam and become certified.

Oracle Academy: Great advice. Do you stay in touch with students after graduation?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: Actually, just the other day I had an email from a student telling me he’s landed a job with a financial services company in France. But most take jobs in Senegal where there is widespread use of Oracle database and apps in the public sector, in banking, health, security and other sectors. These are companies that have legacy databases, or even today’s Oracle DB 23ai, but are crying out for skilled Oracle database technicians.

One reason I stay closely in touch with students goes back to my early days as a lecturer. I was 25 years old when I began teaching at ESP and many students were in the 19-22 range, so we were close in age, and it made communication so much simpler. My courses are not rigid; I need fluidity and encourage interruptions and questions. This open approach sometimes spills over into advice on personal problems but in any case, many students keep in touch and come back to me when they need technical advice or just to tell me where they are in the working world.

Oracle Academy: And lastly, what value do you draw from membership in Oracle Academy?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: Overall, it has been a very positive experience. It’s been 15 years now and Oracle Academy has helped me in teaching, and it’s helped students even more. The Member Hub has aided me in not having to correct hundreds of copies of homework, making scoring and reporting all the simpler. In summary, it is a bridge between our academic world and the professional world of strict restraints and needs. I believe that with Oracle tools I am equipping students with the skills sets demanded outside. Frankly, if a teacher adopts Oracle Academy as a teaching resource, students are going to come out better than average.

Oracle Academy: Thank you. And what are your outside interests?

Ahmath Bamba Mbacke: First and foremost, I like to relax with my son, my wife, and the whole family on weekends and time off. Those are moments when I am fully myself once more. Otherwise, my wife and I like to travel and I have a penchant for Japanese games and Mangas.

I also am deeply involved in helping develop digital computing in Senegal. I am president of the Internet Society for Senegal, and this year I was named representative for research at European level. In addition, I am Senegalese representative for the W3 consortium, an active member of the Web Application Security Working Group, and formerly of the Accessibility Education and Outreach Working Group. These positions have been taking part in talks and roundtables on a regular basis.

I also am involved in Polytechnic’s research community, where I specialize in the use of IT in pedagogy, for example WebRTC application to teaching and education. I have a project to put in place a chair on access and mobility transport research, focusing on digital solutions for making travel safer, more efficient, and more inclusive.

Thank you, Ahmath Bamba Mbacke, for your passion for Oracle Academy and for preparing your students to make a positive impact.