Award of 4 Phds at the Faculty of Agriculture in 2011

At the last graduation ceremony at the University of Mauritius held on the 5th October 2011, 4 students of the Faculty of Agriculture was awarded their degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), and more specifically it was awarded to four women, Sunita Facknath, Anissa Nain, Manisha Ramnauth and Nafiisa Sobrattee received their degrees in the areas Entomology, Molecular Biology, Food Science and Technology and Bio Resource Management respectively. "Having four PhD Holders in a year is an honor and a pride for the Faculty of Agriculture," said the Dean , Dr Françoise Driver. It comes at a time when the tertiary sector wants to promote academic research and the Faculty will continue to play a pivotal role in the development of the agricultural sector in  Mauritius through training of human resources and up to date research.


The Faculty of Agriculture, founded in 1914, was originally known as the School of Agriculture. It will soon celebrate its 100 year history. It consists of two departments, namely, Agricultural Production and Systems and Agricultural and Food Sciences. It has a farm of 21 acres, including a nursery, a greenhouse, a museum of crops, plants, animals and an animal production unit for the hands-on Practical Training for students and those engaged research. Considered the smallest of the UoM Faculty, the Faculty of Agriculture has over 300 students spread over several programs of study, such as agriculture, aquaculture, Forestry and Food Science and Technology, among others. This year, the Faculty of Agriculture has introduced three new programs of study in Microbiology, Land and Water Management and Food Safety and Quality.

In his speech at the ceremony, the Vice-Chancelor, Dr. Konrad Morgan, argued that the graduates of the UoM are as good as graduates of top universities abroad. Hence the importance, he said, once they leave the University to continue the good work. "You Should Be proud of your achievement. Taking shortcuts IS NOT worth it. Make sure you do Things Properly, "said Professor Morgan. For its part, Evert Liew, general manager of Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Ltd, the guest of honor at the ceremony, urged graduates to contribute to the field of agribusiness. "Food industry has big future. You can help to invent new production technologies and Implementation, "he said. Mr Liew also drew attention to the fact that food security becomes increasingly important, as the demand for qualified food specialists. "You will have to prove that you have skills" he said.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR PhD HOLDERS