Mauritius’ higher education space is set to expand with the establishment of the island’s first open university, which will start enrolling students in January next year, a senior official has confirmed.
The Open University of Mauritius was created in accordance with the Open University of Mauritius Act 2010 on 12 July this year.
“We are currently developing the courses as well as procuring course materials, preparing the university’s rules and regulations, recruiting academic staff and developing the learner management system,” Dr Kaviraj Sharma Sukon, director general of the Open University of Mauritius, told University World News.
The university targets students who are unable to be physically present on a campus, although there will be opportunities for face-to-face interaction with instructors through classes where students can meet with teachers around particular topics.
The university will have an initial intake of about 2,000, but the number of students is expected to reach around 15,000 by 2017.
Prospective students – who will be drawn from the workforce, teachers and students completing secondary schooling – are anticipated to come from Mauritius, Africa, India and islands in the Indian Ocean.
Sukon said courses ranging from foundation programmes and certificates to diplomas, and bachelor and doctoral degrees, will be offered in the fields of management, business administration, finance, banking, tax administration, law, languages, education and youth leadership.
“In the absence of natural resources, Mauritius has no choice but to rely on its human resources,” said Sukon. To survive in a hyper-competitive world while improving its competitiveness, growth and welfare, Mauritius had to “transform itself into a knowledge hub and strengthen its services sector”.
He said this required the ability to tap the vast stock of global knowledge as well as creating an educated and skilled population to create, share and use knowledge.
“In this context, Mauritius is investing in its human capital, effective institutions, state-of-the-art information and communication technologies, and competitive enterprises. Mauritius needs to ensure that its labour force is trained continuously,” he told University World News.
Sukon said the open university was set up to meet increasing demand for higher education.
The University of Mauritius could accommodate up to 10,000 students at its campus, and the University of Technology Mauritius was soon expected to reach the same figure, but there was a need for greater access.
When it admits first students next year, the Open University of Mauritius will have been eight years in the making. In 2005, shortly before general elections, then education minister Obeegadoo Steven presented an Open University Bill to parliament. It was passed but not enacted.
“The legal procedures took more time than expected and the legislation has also undergone a few changes,” Sukon explained.
He said the institution was collaborating on some programmes with Indira Gandhi National Open University in India, the University of South Africa and the UK’s Open University. But there was an open invitation for other universities across the world to collaborate.
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