A new batch of 57 freshers have joined the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and they were officially welcomed during a ceremony on Friday at the School of Education, Mont Fleuri.

The occasion also marked the start of a new academic year for the university and the new students.

Present at the ceremony were Indian High Commissioner to Seychelles Tangluran Darlong, UniSey president and vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet and acting dean for the Faculty of Sciences Shirley Marie. There were also two Information Technology (IT) experts from India – Suresh Sikka and Samadhan Rajaram Manore – as well as other faculty members and students.

A total of 21 students from secondary five have joined the foundation year, 23 will start the new diploma in Information and Communication Technology course at the IT Centre for Excellence and 13 will be on the post graduate certificate in education (PGCE) programme.

Dr Payet told the new students that becoming a teacher is the most noble of jobs. 
“At UniSey we will give you the skills and support you need to achieve and to make others achieve,” he said.

He added that “our true leaders are our teachers and without them our country will simply run to a halt”.

Dr Payet said the concrete milestone to propel Seychelles into the ‘cyber nation’ is driven by President James Michel. “His vision to have a centre of learning in information technology and related fields is today a reality,” he said.

He added that during his official visit to India, Mr Michel has been able to gain the support of the Indian government and hence their significant financial and technical contributions to this important project.

“This modern IT centre of excellence will welcome 23 students on the diploma in Information and Communication Technology course.”

“Our ambition is to play a vital role in transforming Seychelles into a knowledge-based society. We want to train and empower a new generation of IT-savvy young people who will be able to take up positions in government, the private sector and elsewhere and be able to develop and manage IT solutions,” added Dr Payet.

This workforce will also enable Seychelles to be ready to take the advantages of the undersea fibre-optic link, he said.

“A number of business opportunities are available in the global IT sector and we need to be innovative and also work on what we are good at.”

He added that indeed there will be jobs and good money to be made in the growing IT sector in Seychelles.

Dr Payet thanked the government of India for funding the project as well as other partners for their support.

He also thanked the lectures who have guided the 43 teachers on UniSey’s Bachelor in Education programme in conjunction with the University of Edith Cowan to achieve very high marks.

Mrs Marie said the new students had a two-day induction on Thursday and Friday.
She added that the new academic year 2012 will start today and explained that this year they have 13 post-secondary teachers from institutions such as the Seychelles Tourism Academy and the Seychelles Institute of Technology on the PGCE programme.

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