Build a career that feeds the world!!! - The Role of the Faculty of Agriculture

Cultivating Excellence in Agriculture

In a short promotional reel, Associate Professor (Dr) Joyce Govinden Soulange, Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Mauritius (UoM) directly addresses prospective students, highlighting how the faculty is “cultivating excellence” and preparing the next generation of agricultural professionals and leaders. Click here for more info 

“Build a career that feeds the world!”

She positions studying agriculture not just as a degree, but as a meaningful, impactful vocation contributing to global food security, sustainability, and development — especially relevant for Mauritius and similar island or developing economies facing climate challenges, limited land, and the need for resilient food systems.

Key Messages from the Dean 

She emphasizes three main strengths of the Faculty:

Applied, Specialised Courses 

• Programmes blend scientific theory with practical, industry-relevant skills.
• Topics often cover crop and animal production, food science and technology, biotechnology, microbiology, agribusiness, sustainable practices, digital technologies in agriculture, biosecurity, climate resilience, and more.
• The focus is on modern, problem-solving education rather than purely theoretical learning.

Hands-on Experience Through Internships 

• Students gain real-world exposure via structured internships in the agricultural sector (farms, agribusinesses, research institutions, food processing companies, etc.).
• This bridges the gap between classroom knowledge and professional demands, helping graduates become job-ready.

The UoM Farm: Where Theory Meets Practice 

• The faculty operates its own UoM Farm — an 8.5-hectare (21-acre) teaching and research facility on campus in Réduit.
• It serves as a living laboratory for students to apply concepts in crop production, animal husbandry, soil management, and experimental work.
• This is one of the oldest and most distinctive features of the faculty (originally founded as the School of Agriculture in 1914).

Programmes Offered 

• The faculty has a long history but is pushing modern, applied training.
• Many programmes are designed to align with national priorities (food security, sustainable agriculture, blue economy elements like aquaculture) and international trends (digital ag, climate-smart practices).

Visit the official page here: https://www.uom.ac.mu/foa/ ]

Why This Matters (Broader Context) 

Mauritius is a small island nation with limited arable land, vulnerable to climate change, and focused on diversifying its economy beyond tourism and sugar. Agriculture here includes traditional crops, emerging high-value sectors (horticulture, aquaculture, agro-processing), and innovation in sustainability.

Graduates from UoM’s Faculty of Agriculture often go into:

• Government/extension services 
• Private agribusiness and food industries 
• Research and development 
• Entrepreneurship (e.g., starting farms or tech-enabled agri ventures) 
• International organisations focused on food security 

The Dean’s message frames agriculture as a high-impact career — “feeding the world” — which ties into global challenges like UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger), climate action, and economic resilience.