Dr NATH VARMA, Chairperson, Open University

Dr SUKON, Director-General, Open University

Mrs GOPEE, Registrar, Open University

Graduates of Convocation 2024

Parents and friends

Members of the Press

It gives me great pleasure to address you today on the occasion of the graduation ceremony organised at the Open University of Mauritius.

This is indeed a very special day for you graduates because it rewards all these sleepless nights you have had before the exams; all these family gatherings you’ve missed and all the personal sacrifices you’ve made. But I am sure you will all agree: it was worth it!!

Today, as you graduate in your respective fields, you feel this overwhelming pride of accomplishment! And pride it is! A University Degree is more than just academics. It is about discipline; it is about teamwork, it is about time organisation and management. All to say that today you are shining brighter not only in academic terms but also personally.

And this pride is not only for you. It is also for your parents – I can see many of them here today. It is also for your spouses. And for many of you it is a proud moment for your children too. More importantly, for many of you, today you have become an inspiration for your kids – an inspiration to aim higher. An inspiration to do better and keep improving.

And for this, please allow me to first and foremost commend the Open University of Mauritius for providing such opportunities of life-long learning. The possibility of offering distance learning as is the case with Open University means that the students did not necessarily need to attend classes. Rather, lectures were either broadcasted or conducted remotely with the help of technology. Such flexibility is very important because it allows students who work full time – and I am sure many of you can relate to that – to continue with their studies.

For a country like Mauritius where there is a strong culture of learning and excellence in education - you have rightly seized such opportunities. And here you are today. Equipped with advanced knowledge in a variety of important fields ranging from Applied Computing and Digital Technologies to Financial Management and Taxation. All strategic domains where with your newly acquired knowledge and knowhow, you can concretely contribute to the thinking and to research that will help decision makers, society and the economy as a whole.

So be bold and confident to bring in and defend new ideas and concepts.

Dare to challenge.

Think outside the box.

Because the world is growing fast and everyday we see new challenges. Increasing needs to constantly adapt. Opportunities to be creative and innovative are not lacking.

With your new degrees, you have the tools to seize them.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The European Union and the Republic of Mauritius have a long-standing partnership of more than 50 years – 50 years of frank and constructive dialogue.

I am pleased to say that we have collaborated in strategic sectors including environment, maritime security, fisheries, trade and tourism.

Europe has also been and remains an important partner in the educational field in Mauritius. Either the French Baccalaureate or the Cambridge examinations from UK has been at the foundation of your educational system. And it could not have been otherwise. As past colony of these countries, these are important legacies from which Mauritius has inherited. This is why degrees from tertiary institutions in Mauritius are world-recognised. This is also why there are so many Mauritians occupying very high posts in Europe but also elsewhere.

On this note please allow me to mention the EU Erasmus + Programme and how it is contributing to further enhance higher education in Mauritius.

Erasmus + (2021-2027) with an estimated budget of EUR 26.2 billion, is the most prestigious EU programme to support education, training and youth.

The programme offers students and staff of higher education institutions opportunities to move to Europe for studies and exchange programmes. It also provides higher education institutions with the possibility to partner with European universities to further develop their capacity.

I am particularly happy that Mauritius has regularly benefited from the different components of Erasmus + since 2005.

Let me quote some examples:

• First of all, between 2005 to 2024, about 26 Mauritian students won the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree (EMJMD);
• Secondly, from 2016 to 2020, more than 243 Mauritian students and staff from Mauritian Higher Education Institutions participated in the International mobility programmes;
• Finally, in 2022 and 2023, three projects were funded under the Capacity Building Component for Higher Education and another one under the Capacity Building Component for Vocational Education and Training.

I am aware that the Open University of Mauritius has already benefited from the Erasmus + Programme. I encourage the latter to explore how to further take advantage of this programme.

For more information on the Erasmus + programme, I encourage you to consult the Erasmus + website, or the Facebook page of the EU Delegation or the African Students & Alumni Forum (ASAF)). I am also handing over some useful documentations to the Open University for consultations.

So once again, congratulations on your graduation today.

Thank you for your attention.

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