In addition to the various learning platforms, programs and training centers within hotel groups and companies in all sectors, a large number of academic, technical and professional institutions provide quality education in Mauritius.
Delphine Raimond
Our small territory is draped in a solid educational fabric that is known to represent the vectors of both a country’s economic development and social stability. In addition to the government network of free primary and secondary schools, there are nine public higher education establishments, three of which operate in specialized fields. A dozen schools offer a 100% English system, while five others are AEFE (Agence pour l’Enseignement Français à l’Etranger) accredited, including two in partnership. There are 567 French schools in 138 countries around the world. Finally, in addition to the Mauritius Institute of Training and Development (MITD) – under the aegis of the Ministry of Labor, HR Development and Training – hundreds of private organizations offer a wide range of comprehensive learning programs for students and professionals alike.
Higher education in Mauritius
Equipped with IT, technological and educational resources that meet international standards, the Mauritian higher education network – both private and public – covers a large number of professional sectors and boasts numerous partnerships with foreign institutions. Here are just a few examples.
Science and technology
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Leela Devi Dookun-Luchoomun, is constantly emphasizing her ministry’s commitment to promoting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects in Mauritius, hoping to get more young people involved in the subject and encourage scientific research.
The Mauritius University of Technology (UTM) in Port Louis has a School of Innovative Technologies and Engineering (SITE), created in 2008 to meet local and global challenges. It groups together several autonomous departments, from industrial computing to film and media technologies, from applied mathematics to ICT (information and communication technologies) – today’s drivers of the global economy. The employability rate of graduates in the latter field is close to 100%. In the digital design sector, UTM and start-up edVentr signed a collaboration agreement last year, offering students additional training in blockchain, cybersecurity, etc., as well as certifications from leading organizations: Microsoft, Adobe, Apple, Unity, etc. With non-artificial intelligence, this protocol brings academia face to face with real market needs.
The University of Mauritius (UoM), based in Réduit, comprises the public faculties of science, medicine and health sciences, social sciences and humanities, engineering, agriculture, law and management, information, communication and digital technologies.
Currently a doctoral student at UoM in the field of molecular nutrition, young Annaëlle Kate Siaw Lim Hip Kam was seen representing Mauritius at the 72nd Lindau 2023 Nobel Laureates’ Meeting (dedicated this year to the theme of physiology/medicine), held in Germany from June 25 to 30. She shared her research on the pharmacological potential of locally-grown foods against cancer. Over 600 young scientists from all over the world met with 40 Nobel Prize winners – the rock stars of science! Since 2012, some thirty Mauritians have been selected to take part in this event.
“Knowledge is power” is the maxim of the Université des Mascareignes (UDM), founded in 2012. Since then, the youngest public university has welcomed more than 10,500 students and now boasts around 60 teaching staff. In partnership with the University of Limoges, it offers graduates a double degree. Engineering and sustainability, business and management, and information and communication technologies are the three faculties present on the Pamplemousses, Roches Brunes and Bel Air campuses. UDM is distinguished by its commitment to science and research on sustainability and climate change, and works to develop innovative solutions, in response to the United Nations’ SDGs. On the subject of reducing emissions by 2030, last month UDM and construction company Transinvest unveiled a concrete project that will, in the medium term, enable precise measurement of the carbon footprint generated by road construction and maintenance in Mauritius. This design assistance tool will pave the way for safer, more affordable and more sustainable infrastructures.
In 2017, the Mauritian government launched Polytechnics Mauritus Ltd (PML), to meet the emerging needs of the state and the industry sector for skilled human resources. PML trains professionals capable of leading and transforming industry, fostering growth and sustainability in Mauritius. The Réduit campus, close to the cybercity, houses the ICT and emerging technologies cluster. The Montagne Blanche campus focuses on tourism and hospitality. Near the SSRN hospital in Pamplemousses, you’ll find the health sciences and nursing department, as well as the engineering department (architecture, industrial logistics, aquaculture, etc.), which will soon be offering a diploma in avionics maintenance. For PML, learning in the industrial field shapes tomorrow’s managers and leaders!
Business and management
The Analysis Institute of Management (AIM) in Ebène supports executives and managers in the fields of global finance, marketing and strategic communication, and offers solutions for attracting, retaining and engaging talent in the Indian Ocean. Since 2006, AIM has been co-delivering in Mauritius the Master of Business Administration International Paris (offered in seven countries), in partnership with the prestigious Université Paris-Dauphine and IAE Paris-Sorbonne Business School. Business leaders and other functional managers are offered executive and masters programs in marketing, communications and finance, as well as specialized certification courses in digital bilingualism and security models for digital practices. These programs mobilize experts from the academic and professional spheres, such as engineers from École MINES ParisTech.
Recognized for the quality of its teaching and the diversity of its courses, the Charles Telfair Campus (CTC), a private higher education institution, offers programs designed to meet the specific challenges of the market and adapt to the realities of Mauritius. With 25 years’ experience and prestigious partnerships with renowned international institutions – Curtin University, TAFE North & South Metropolitan in Australia and Vatel Mauritius – the CTC is fully committed to its skills development mission and plays an essential role in promoting education and innovation… in Mauritius and beyond.
In addition, since 2005, its Leadership Academy has been offering Mauritian companies tailor-made training programs focusing on leadership and management themes, with the aim of broadening and improving their management capabilities and providing them with the tools they need to succeed in a competitive and constantly evolving business environment.
Uniciti International Education Hub (UIEH) is the Medine Group’s center of excellence dedicated to education. Its two campuses (Pierrefonds and Cascavelle) bring together over 2,800 students (40% of whom are foreign) in four areas: digital, engineering, health, business management and finance. The hub partners with renowned local and international institutions: Grenoble École de Management (GEM); ESSEC Business School; Paris II Panthéon-Assas, France’s most renowned law university; Amity, India’s leading private education group; MCB Institute of Finance, Middlesex University… among others! Specific, cutting-edge degrees in network management, cybersecurity, information systems, clinical psychology and law are awarded by the UIEH, which is also working on the creation of a Uniciti Innovation Hub, with the aim of hosting start-ups in emerging technologies. UIEH is also home to Vatel, the Mauritian branch of the world’s leading hotel and tourism management school.
Located in Pamplemousses, the African Leadership College (ALC) offers instruction focused on Africa’s future and its strategic positioning in a changing world. The organization’s ambition is to train 3 million (eco)responsible entrepreneurial leaders by 2035, equipping them with the seven meta-skills of the 21st century. Bridging the gap between education and the real world, meeting the needs of today’s industry, teaching how to think and act in ways that have a positive impact on the world’s communities… these are just some of the programs taught and assessed in English over four years, including twelve months of professional internships. At the beginning of June, four final-year students (from Mauritius, DRC, Cameroon and Kenya) represented the island and the whole African region, among winners from all over the world, in the online edition of the HSBC/HKU Asia Pacific Business Case Competition. The competition provides a platform for students wishing to demonstrate their business skills.
Specialized areas
The Mauritius (Public) Institute of Education (MIE), in Moka, trains teachers, democratizes the education system, deploys its programs and manuals, and invests in its research. The Mauritius Institute of Health (public) (MIH) is a regional center for research and training of health and paramedical personnel, supported by the Ministry of Health and the Australian Agency for International Development (AIDAB). The (private) École nationale supérieure d’architecture (ENSA) de Nantes, the only institution to offer a degree in architecture and urban planning in Mauritius, is part of the Uniciti International Education Hub. The (public) Academy of Design and Innovation promotes excellence in the creative economy in the fields of graphic, digital and multimedia design; fashion and textiles; architecture and the built environment; arts, crafts and jewelry. It is also aligned with the development of sustainable objectives in the sector.
Animation
The European Bachelor’s degree in 2D and 3D animation is now available in Mauritius, at AIM! This d or the first time in Europe and3rd worldwide, the RUBIKA animation school in Mauritius will be issuing a double diploma in Quebec and Europe in October.
Kaushal Ramlackhan, DG of AIM, tells us about this 3-year program, including a year in Montreal.
Career prospects?
The program will enable talented young Mauritians to build a career with some of the biggest animation studios in Montreal, with the possibility of working in Canada for a year after graduating in their third year. Eventually, some will return to the Indian Ocean to set up their own studios. Our ambition is to give value to passionate artists who are often marginalized and not recognized for their true worth! They’ll be able to make a living from their passion and share their talents with as many people as possible. Parents and young people alike are unaware of developments in the creative professions of the future, yet the demand for professionals is growing, whether in animation or video games. In November last year, for example, Netflix launched Netflix Games, a streaming service for video games.
Training content?
Through their work, artists convey a universal, societal, ethical or moral message. That’s why, in addition to technical courses (anatomical drawing, modeling, sculpture, etc.), the program offers art history and semiology courses from the first year onwards, to develop critical thinking skills and familiarize students with the artistic movements, issues and reflections that visual works have conveyed over time. In their3rd year at Rubika Montréal, students are trained in art direction and scriptwriting techniques. Young graduates will have all the tools they need to succeed in the creative industry!
“Isn’t animation always pushing the boundaries? And it’s never going to stop surprising us, because there will always be new things to discover and experiment with,” concludes Kaushal Ramlackhan.
The influence of French education
More than 5,000 students – the majority from Mauritius – benefit from AEFE education agreements, at the Ecole du Nord (Mapou), the Ecole du Centre Pierre Poivre and the Lycée des Mascareignes (both in Moka), the Lycée La Bourdonnais (Curepipe) and the Ecole primaire Paul et Virginie (Tamarin). As a member of both the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie and the Commonwealth, the island’s bilingualism means that English is taught at a high level in all French schools, from kindergarten onwards.
In its seventieth year, the Lycée La Bourdonnais (LLB) in Curepipe (elementary school, collège, lycée général and lycée technologique) has 1,441 pupils and 235 students from the MCCI Business School, the French-speaking university of the Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2022, the LLB’s excellent exam success rate was reflected in a 100% pass rate for the Brevet des Collèges, a 99% pass rate for the Bac général, a 96% pass rate for the Bac technologique and a 94% pass rate for the BTS. Preparing for the start of the new school year in September at a large French school in Casablanca, Bernard Moga, principal of the LLB since 2020, tells us: “These years in Mauritius will leave a lasting mark on my professional career, as they have been so intense and stimulating.” On the subject of the STMG (Sciences et Technologies du Management et de la Gestion) baccalaureate, the only one in the technological stream, he points out that it is “perfectly suited to the job market in Mauritius, in conjunction with the BTS or professional licenses offered by the MCCI Business School in particular”, and confides that he is “also thinking of setting up bac + 2 courses in the IT and digital fields”, although it is still too early to say more. As for the attention paid to monitoring and supporting students with special educational needs, the LLB has set up a special program called “Avançons Ensemble”.
Founded in 1884, the Alliance française de l’île Maurice (AFIM), the world’s second oldest after Paris, has 6 branches: Triolet, Goodlands, Mahébourg, Souillac, Rivière-Noire, Rodrigues and the head office in Bell Village. The worldwide network of over 800 establishments has three key missions: p rovide French language courses, promote French and French-speaking cultures and encourage cultural diversity. L he AFIM offers fun workshops, training courses for adults and a wide range of activities: concerts, exhibitions, plays, conferences… Its media library has no fewer than 30,000 books!
And what about women?
In our March issue, where women were in the spotlight (remember that they represent over 50% of the population), we presented a plethora of projects and initiatives aimed at training them and helping them shine in the entrepreneurial world. % of the population), we presented a plethora of projects and initiatives aimed at training them and raising their profile in the entrepreneurial world.
Brilliant women are first and foremost educated girls. We’re proud to report that Patten (Girls) High School in Rose Hill came out on top in the eighth edition of the Science Quest 2023 competition, organized by the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre (RGSC) and sponsored by MCB. Dedicated to secondary school students, this year’s competition to promote science and innovation brought together 45 schools and colleges to submit 70 projects! The winners in the first category (grades 7, 8, 9) mastered theirs: the effects of an automatic irrigation system on the growth and development of a celery plant, using a computer programming system. Well done, girls!
A parastatal organization, the National Women Entrepreneurs Council (NWEC) operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Welfare. Created in 1999, it is the main organization providing assistance, support and training to Mauritian women entrepreneurs – both aspiring and existing – to develop their skills and empower them. A driving force and facilitator of good corporate culture, NWEC is active in all professional fields.
As the field of apprenticeship and training in Mauritius cannot be reduced to these few pages, LGM is counting on the understanding of all the players in the sector not included here.
