Mar 24, 2013

Agricultural Society - Agric Fair



The agricultural society organised a successful ag fair on campus in March 2013. The main theme of the fair was to sensitise the youth in the role and importance of agriculture in the economy and that it is worth undertaking a degree in agriculture.

Mar 16, 2013

Conferment of Honorary Degree to President of India

THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRI PRANAB MUKHERJEE AT THE CEREMONY CONFERRING HONORARY DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF CIVIL LAW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS

His speech is reproduced below.


Hon. Rajkeswur Purryag, President of the Republic of Mauritius,

Hon. Dr. Navinchandra Ramgoolam, Prime Minister of the Republic of Mauritius,

Sir Ramesh Jeewoolall, Chancellor of the University of Mauritius,

Distinguished guests and dear students,

1. I am delighted to be here among you. I have been in your country for nearly two days now. I have been mesmerised by the natural beauty of this island which is rivalled only by the warmth and friendliness of its people. I have been touched by the gracious hospitality accorded to me. I am, above all, struck by the profound awareness that this island's success is vested, in large part, in the education of its citizens. Mahatma Gandhi's brief stopover in 1901 had set the stage for a peaceful revolution in the area of education in Mauritius. Nurtured by the efforts of Barrister Manilall Doctor and other stalwarts, the seeds of social transformation continued to grow after Independence, thanks to the visionary leadership of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, who was deeply aware of the power of education. He had said and I quote "In the modern world, education has a vital role to play in the life of a nation, particularly in developing countries, where people are becoming more and more conscious of their duties and responsibilities in shaping the future of their countries" - words which ring true even today. Investment in education continues to reap rich dividends for Mauritius and has been one of the reasons for the praiseworthy level of development that we see in Mauritius today.

Mar 6, 2013

Former Vice Chancellor Prof J. Manrakhan

Demise of Former UoM Vice-Chancellor

Jagdish Manrakhan 
Mauritius has lost just one of its Great Souls. May he rest in Peace and I convey my sincere condolences to his family friends and acquaintances. We need more of Professor Manrakhan to make sure we are going in the right direction.

Pr Jagadish ManrakhanProfessor Jagdish Manrakhan has died at the age of 75.Professor Manrakhan held the post of vice-chancellor of the University of Mauritius from 1979 to 1995. He holds a MSc in Agricultural Economics from the University of Reading. He has also been a Fellow of the Agricultural College, now known as the University of Mauritius (UoM). Professor Jagadish Manrakhan also shares a rich history with the UoM. He was Vice-Chancellor from 1979 to 1995. He then served as the Director of the Mauritius Research Council until 1998. In 2000, he was appointed Chairman of the Sugar Insurance Fund Board.
 

En Allemagne – Le Pr Jagadish Manrakhan succombe à une crise cardiaque 
The former Vice-Chancellor of UoM has also served with the former Minister of Finance Rama Sithanen on the Commission of Inquiry into the Sugar Industry and has produced a report entitled The Human Factor, the sugar industry and Mauritius: a vision for the future. Professor Manrakhan is known for his passion for writing and history. He has written several books on the history of agriculture in the country and the UoM.
Those who knew him will always remember Professor Jagadish Manrakhan as a scholarly person who left his mark both in academia than in agriculture.


List of Books (Source Amazon Website) 



Manrakhan J., Sithanen R., 1984. The human factor, the sugar industry and Mauritius: a vision for the future : report. Govt. Printer.
Manrakhan, J., 1982. Mauritius and the Idea of a University. University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1990a. The university in search of past and future: a tale of unsurpassed resilience. Editions de l’Océan Indien ; Réduit : University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1990b. The challenge of biotechnology. Editions de l’Océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1991a. Autonomy and Freedom in Academe. Editions de l’océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1991b. The Mauritian School for Scientific Agriculture, 1914-89. University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1992a. Mystique Mathematical. Editions de l’océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1992b. Sindhu’s Quintessence. Editions de l’Océan Indien for the University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1992c. Varsity at Réduit. Editions de l’océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1993a. Vice-Chancellor’s Address to Court: Varsity at Réduit : 1992-93, the Year of the MBA. University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1993b. Campus Chorus. Editions de l’Océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1994. A Reading of the Law at Réduit. Editions de l’océan Indien for the University of Mauritius.
Manrakhan, J., 1997. History of Agricultural Research in Mauritius. Editions de l’océan Indien.
Manrakhan, J., 1993. Varsity at Réduit, 1990-92. Editions de l’océan Indien .

Given his exceptional career, he was appointed Grand Officer of the Order of the Star and Key of the Indian Ocean (GOSK) in 2002. Termed as honest and brilliant by many, he has served on various commissions of inquiry, including that of the transport industry (1976-77), education (1982-83) and the sugar industry during the same years. He was also a member of the National Economic and Social Council from 2002 to 2011.
Professor Manrakhan was known throughout the industry for his passion for writing and history.
He wrote several books on the history of agriculture in the country and the UoM (see amazon,com)
He will be always remembered as a scholarly, brilliant, modest and intelligent person who left his mark both on the education agriculture field.

Creation of a Livestock Policy HUB at the Ministry of AgroIndustry and Food Security



Press release

Vers la mise en place d’un Livestock Policy Hub à Maurice
Le ministre Faugoo : « Notre objectif est d’atteindre plus de 14 millions de litres de lait d’ici à 2015 » Le ministre de l’ Agro-Industrie et de la Sécurité Alimentaire, Satish Faugoo lors de son intervention à l’occasion de l’ouverture d’un atelier de travail national de trois jours ( du 19 au 21 février 2013) avec des acteurs de l’élevage au Clos St Louis, Domaine les Pailles, hier, a loué l’initiative du Veterinary Governance (Vet-Gov) de mettre en place un projet de Livestock Policy Hub à Maurice. Dans la même foulée, M. Faugoo a soutenu qu’en marge de la mise en œuvre du Plan Stratégique sur la Sécurité Alimentaire 2008-2011, la production de lait qui était de 6 millions de litres passera à plus de 14 millions de litres d'ici à 2015. De même, il veut augmenter la production de viande qui était de 1 300 tonnes à 2 300 tonnes au cours de la même période.

Visit of Chairman IFAD

 
IFAD  is a UN specialized institution devoted to poverty eradication in rural areas in developing countries.
The chairman of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Dr Kanayo F. Nwanze was on an official visit in Mauritius.  He arrived on 3 March 2013. He paid a visit to Rodrigues where he had  various working sessions with the Chief Commissioner of Rodrigues, Mr S. Clair, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr J.R. Payendee and other officials at Port Mathurin.
An official of the ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security said the visit was to strengthen the ties between IFAD and Mauritius and ensure that the Marine and Agriculture Support Programme (MARS) is implemented for peasant farmers and fishermen.
The Chairman said in a  tweet "I Looking forward to visiting #ifad funded activities in #Mauritius and meeting the ppl we work with and for— Kanayo Nwanze (@knwanze) March 3, 2013

On his return from Rodrigues on 5 March, the President of IFAD will pay a courtesy call on the President of the Republic, Mr K. Purryag and will also meet the Prime Minister, Dr N. Ramgoolam.  Dr Nwanze will also pay courtesy calls on the Secretary General of the Indian Ocean Commission, Mr J.C. de L’Estrac and the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr X.L. Duval.
Before leaving Mauritius on 06 March the President of IFAD, Dr Nwanze will visit the MSIRI and will deliver a key note address on the theme From Food Security to Sustainable Development: New challenges and new opportunities in the presence of Minister Faugoo, Senior officials of the Ministry and other stakeholders.

Open Education Week

Open Education Week 2013

Open Education Week is taking place from 11-15 March 2013 online and in locally hosted events around the world. The purpose of Open Education Week is to raise awareness of the open education movement and its impact on teaching and learning worldwide. Participation in all events and use of all resources is free an open to anyone.
Open education is about sharing, reducing barriers and increasing access in education.  It includes free and open access to platforms, to tools and to resources in education (such as learning materials, course materials, videos of lectures, assessment tools, research, study groups, textbooks, etc.).  Open education seeks to create a world in which the desire to learn is fully met by the opportunity to do so and where everyone, everywhere is able to access affordable, educationally and culturally appropriate opportunities to gain whatever knowledge or training they desire.
Some online events that might be of interest for the AIMS Community are the following:
More information at http://www.openeducationweek.org/events-webinars/