University of Mauritius (UoM)
The University of Mauritius was established in 1965 as the need of the country for skilled tertiary-level educated workers became more apparent. As the Mauritian economy and social context evolved, the need for an educated workforce became more complex and holistic. Hence, the orignal three schools of Agriculture, Administration and Industrial Technology evolved into the Faculties of Agriculture, Engineering, Humanities and Social Studies, Law and Management, and Science. Now hosting over 7800 students, the university continues to grow and develop its position as a respected international institution and a centre for both excellence and creativity.
Along with the provision of skilled graduates, the University of Mauritius has always held a firm commitment to produce applicable research. One of the core tenets of the University is that undergraduate teaching should be conducted and supported by active research staff. To this end, the Research Strategy of the University seeks to identify the areas of research strength and maximising the research output through resource allocation, multi-disciplinary research incentives, and investing in world-class research infrastructure and administration that are recognised as best practise. It is the belief of the University that these measures will build a strong research ethic in Mauritius, retain the best researchers, and create an institution that produces internationally-recognised research products.
The Faculty of Science has, since its establishment, been actively engaged in research, both in fundamental and applied areas, and several consultancy projects for Government, local and international bodies. The mission to optimise the research potential of the Faculty of Science led to interest, and thus participation, in the Scholarly Communication in Africa Programme, after consultation with SARUA in which initially the Department of Physics and later the Faculty of Science were singled out as ideal participants in SCAP.
Furthering research in Mauritius is of national importance and there are on-going discussions between the government and the Mauritius Research Council for the setting up of five centres for applied research. SCAP is therefore an expedient tool to discover ways in which we can develop and provide platforms to increase visibility of good quality research produced in the Faculty of Science, as the microcosm; and to later apply positive findings to other Faculties of the University of Mauritius. By engaging in the SCAP, and the element of cross-border collaboration that is involved in the program, Mauritius can gain significantly.
Study Site:
Faculty of Science
With the creation of the Faculty of Science in February 1989 of the University of Mauritius, Government rightly foresaw the present need for graduates adaptable to a wide range of jobs and able to identify new areas of advance. The Faculty is now a major facility for the educational and research development of the country. As Government addresses the challenge of turning the country into a NIC, it has clearly stated its intentions to tap, optimise and build upon the rich potentials of the Faculty of Science to strengthen its national scientific and technological capabilities. The academic staff of the Faculty are distributed in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics, Health & Medical Sciences, and the SSR Centre for Medical Studies and Research.
Research Team:
