I thank the Mauritius Research Council for organizing the Public Lecture, on ‘Excitement and Opportunities in Biomedical Science’, given by Dr Shivraj Sohur from none other than the prestigious Harvard Medical School. Today my Ministry through the Mauritius Research Council continues on this path as part of our mandate to promote science and technology in Mauritius. It is a fact that the frontier of biomedical science has rarely been as exciting and as full of spectacular opportunities as it is today. From basic science through clinical research to health services research, the opportunities made available through the impressive advances of recent decades in the biomedical as well as the physical, computational, and behavioral and social sciences have brought us to a frontier of unprecedented opportunity. Today's revolution in biomedical science has raised new hope for the prevention, treatment, and cure of serious illnesses. I am sure that today’s lecture will enlighten all those present and the discussions will accordingly help Mauritius in consolidating its place as a regional leader in biotechnology.
