'Logic will get you from A to Z …Imagination will get you everywhere.' Albert Einstein'

'If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.'

‘Visit of Prof. Jean Louis Carpentier, Managing Director, ’Université de Genève’ and Mrs.Carpentier accompanied by Mrs.M.Manraj of the University of Mauritius

‘Meeting with Prof.J.Scrimgeour, University of Aberdeen, Scotland’

 

I had a meeting with Prof. J. Scrimgeour, Director of Energy Institute, University of Aberdeen, Scotland together with all my TEIs to discuss the implementation of Petroleum Engineering courses for our Institutions and also research projects with the Mauritius Research Council.

‘Tamil New Year Festivity in my Constituency’

 

ICT EXPO 2014 ‘Connecting Communities’ at Bel Air Social Welfare Centre

 

 

'Knowledge is the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question'

Prize Giving Ceremony - Science Mural Contest

 

 

 

SPEECH - Prize Giving Ceremony - Science Mural Contest

Thursday 24April 2014 at 13 00hrs

Auditorium, Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre

·        Your Excellency, Mr. A.K. Mudgal, THE HIGH COMMISIONER OF INDIA

·        The Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian culture

·        Dr A.K. Maulloo, DIRECTOR, RAJIV GANDHI SCIENCE CENTRE

·        Distinguished guests

·        Dear Students

Good afternoon. It is indeed a great pleasure for me to address you today, on the occasion of thePrize Giving Ceremony of the “Science Mural Contest”on the theme “Space Exploration for a Better Tomorrow. I thank the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture and the Indian High Commission for their collaboration in this event.

I am pleased to learn that the 67 entries were received from secondary schools and 221 students registered for this activity.

All the students who participated in the competition must by now have a better awareness of the importance of space science. Space science has led to many innovations which have changed our life. It has contributed to medical science, cell communication, video enhancing and analysis systems, solar technology, chemical detection, digital image processing to name a few examples.

Every day, space exploration missions fulfill people's curiosity, producing fresh data about the solar system that brings us closer to answering profound questions that have been asked for millennia: What is the nature of the Universe? Is the destiny of humankind bound to Earth? Are we and our planet unique? Is there life elsewhere in the Universe?

The theme “Space Exploration for a Better Tomorrow” for this Science Mural Contest also commemorates the Indo-Mauritian Collaboration in the field of Science and Technology. As you must all know, India has made lots of progress in the field of space exploration in the recent years. On November 5, 2013, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) launched a rocket that is projected to reach Mars in September 2014. The object of the mission, called the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), is to use a satellite to identify the geological source of methane that is present in the Martian atmosphere.

The Government of India has supported the setting up of this centre and I am pleased to note that it is continuing to give its support and guidance for -

·        the construction of a 120-seater planetarium at Pamplemousses,

·        the extension of this building by 1000 sq m to accommodate 2 more galleries including one on Ocean Sciences, and also the refurbishment of the existing galleries.The planetarium will allow people to benefit from Astronomy. 

I have also to inform you that Mauritius is participating in the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project, together with 8 other countries. This project is about the construction of the most powerful telescope, which will be located in South Africa with antennas in neighboring countries. This project requires skilled professionals in astrophysics and related fields. We are also working with the Mauritius Radio Telescope to establish a Centre for Space Science at Reduit.

Mural  Art

Coming to today’s event, I would like to highlight that Mural Art is one of the best of all known public art. The purpose of murals varies from culture to culture and from time period to time period.

Murals are large scale paintings which are applied directly to walls, ceilings, and many other large flat surfaces. They are presumed to be the oldest human art form, as cave paintings at numerous ancient human settlements suggest, and can be found all over the world. 

This initiative of the RGSC to use Mural art as a new means of popularizing science and technology is indeed commendable. 

I was really amazed to see some of the murals created by students. This competition opened to the students of Lower Secondary i.e Form I-IIIhad as main objective toencouragecreativity and innovation among young people and carry out basic research work in the field of science and technology.

I would like to congratulate all the rectors, teachers and parents who have encouraged their children to participate in this contest. I would like to thank all the staff of the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre, the Indira Gandhi Centre for Indian Culture and the High Indian High Commission who has contributed into making the Science Mural Contest 2014 a real success.A special thanks goes also to all the Jury Members.

Although this is a competition, please note that even if you are not rewarded today, your participation in this event is an indication of your courage and inner potential. 

Thank you.

‘Opening Ceremony of Workshop - Empowering through Cooperative Entrepreneurship’

 

 

Opening Ceremony of Workshop

Empowering through Cooperative Entrepreneurship

Venue : UTM, La Tour Koenig   Date: Thursday 24 April at 10.00 a.m

Mr Seechurn, Director of National Institute for Co-operative Entrepreneurship

Dear participants,

I wish to thank the National Institute for Co-operative Entrepreneurship  for the organization of this workshop aimed at creating awareness of university students on the concept, importance and potential of cooperative entrepreneurship  and motivate them to consider the cooperative approach as an alternative way of becoming entrepreneurs.

I thank the Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives for this initiative in our universities.

Universities and higher education institutions can contribute positively and significantly to innovative and growth-oriented entrepreneurship. They can teach entrepreneurship and transfer knowledge and innovation to enterprises. There is a need to develop entrepreneurship engagement  and  expand existing entrepreneurship efforts and introduce more creative and effective approaches, building on the best practices highlighted from around the world. entrepreneurship education is that it has the potential to encourage entrepreneurship, fostering the right mindset among students as well as providing them with relevant entrepreneurial skills. This will in time have a positive impact on future economic growth, job creation, innovation and wealth generation. Moreover, entrepreneurial skills and attitudes also provide benefits to society beyond their application to business activity.

UNESCO reports that in its latest national policy framework introduced in 2010,  the Chinese Ministry of Education required that creativity and entrepreneurship education should be integrated into different aspects of institutional reforms within higher education institutions, including redefinition of the missions of higher education institutions, reforms of teaching modalities and curriculum systems, capacity building of teaching staff, promotion of creativity and entrepreneurship through different kinds of extracurricular activities, establishment of relevant monitoring mechanism, collection of best practices for information and experience sharing. Secondly, in order to provide supportive platforms for the students to engage in entrepreneurial activities, central and local partnerships in the establishment of entrepreneurship education bases are encouraged, with existing university science parks and incubation centres playing important roles. Thirdly, provincial education authorities are required to provide more favourable policies for university graduates to create their own business plans and start new ventures.

We want all the universities to focus not only on the examinations and diplomas but on creating innovation and building new ideas. In USA, we know that most of the students following courses at the Harvard Business School end up starting their own business and become successful entrepreneurs.

We have started Business incubators with the Mauritius Research Council on a small scale and hope to expand this project in the future. The Institut Francophone de l’Entrepreunariat is working on a virtual incubator to promote entrepreneurship.

I therefore wish to thank the Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Cooperatives and the  National Institute for Co-operative Entrepreneurship for sensitizing students on entrepreneurship through cooperatives. We should develop a common framework to promote entrepreneurship among our students and work together for the implementation of the framework.

Thank you.

‘Collaboration with the University of Aberdeen’

 

I met with Prof. J.Scrimgeour, Director, Energy Institute, University of Aberdeen, Scotland together with Dr. A.Sudhoo of the Mauritius Research Council (MRC). The aim of the visit was to discuss the development of joint research projects with our tertiary institutions and amongst other issues pertaining to petroleum engineering.