C&W to give UniSey R2m services

Cable & Wireless - 18.05.2010
Cable & Wireless agreed yesterday to provide modern telecom services worth around R2 million to the University of Seychelles (UniSey) through the signing of an accord at the Anse Royale campus.

It was signed by the telecom firm’s chief executive Charles Hammond and UniSey vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet, in the presence of the information communications technology principal secretary Benjamin Choppy.

The dean of the School of Sciences, Dr George Ah-Thew, C&W public relations manager Terry Servina and staff, along with UniSey staff were also there.

The main aim of the project is to provide telecom services to the university campuses at Anse Royale and the School of Education (ex-NIE) at Mont Fleuri.

These include fixed-line phone services, mobile packages for administration staff, BlackBerry devices, wi-fi and high-speed internet access. The agreement also covers full-time scholarships for two students at the university.
A copy of the business proposal was also presented to Dr Payet.

Mr Hammond said the telecom company is proud to have the technology to deliver these services to UniSey.

“They are being delivered by highly capable and local skilled workers with the highest Cable & Wireless standards,” he said.
This sponsorship initiative complements the free broadband internet access for state schools that the firm started three years ago.

As a responsible corporate citizen, this is an opportunity to proactively contribute in creating a knowledge-based society, Mr Hammond added.

Dr Payet said technology is the backbone of education and the university will not be able to survive without it.
“We want to give our students a chance to interact with other lecturers and facilities outside Seychelles,” he said.

The infrastructure will give students and lecturers access to books and other academic materials.

“It is vital for us to expose our students to the latest technology and software, so they can bring innovation to the world of work.”

Mr Servina said the telecom company will install and maintain the infrastructure that will provide these services. The university will bear some minimal cost during the project, he added.

The main campus at Anse Royale already has most of the services, including wireless internet, and this will be connected to the School of Education once all the infrastructure has been put in place.

“The project is at an advanced stage, and if there is a need for new technology and services in the future for the benefit of the university and Seychelles we will make it available,” said Mr Servina.

Talking about the university courses, Dr Ah-Thew said students following the computing and information systems course are now sitting for their exams.

Soon they will be placed on internships, and the second year is scheduled to start in September.
He also called on other telecom companies to come forward and provide special packages to students and lecturers.

Environment ministers converge in Nairobi

From: Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

Written By:Rosalia Opondo    , Posted: Mon, Mar 29, 2010

Environment Ministers from ten African countries are converging at the UNEP headquarters in Gigiri to discuss ways of promoting better use of coastal resources in the region.

Under the aegis of Conference of Parties (COP - 6), the Nairobi Convention will discuss how to strengthen laws on pollution in order to conserve the shared resource of the Indian Ocean. The Western Indian Ocean is one of the richest ecosystems in the world with important mangrove forests, sea grass beds and coral reefs. It is thought to hold more than 11,000 species of plants and animals.

But growing population has led to an exponential increase in pollution through overflow of sewage, chemicals and other pollutants from the land. Deputy Director in charge of Coastal, marine and freshwater at the National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) noted that land based pollution challenges will be given prominence. "One of the protocols being discussed is that dealing with land based sources and activities. Over 80 % of our pollution to environment comes from land, and we are trying to address this," he told KBC news. For the next three days, they will deliberate on how to tighten legislation and national co-operation, in order to conserve the ocean. "The conditions you find in a coastal zone are very similar to conditions in coastal zones in countries that share the same convention," he said This means pollution in one past of Africa will eventually affect other parts.

Dr. Rolph Payet, a participant from Seychelles noted that education on co-operation between users of coastal resources is vital for the survival of marine facilities. According to UNEP, some 30 million people living around the ocean depend upon the area's marine and coastal resources for food, livelihoods and recreation. COP-6 to the Nairobi Convention  is a defining moment as the meeting is expected to among others, adopt the Amended Nairobi Convention as well as endorse the Strategic Action Programme for the Protection of the Marine and Coastal Environment in the Western Indian Ocean from Land- based Sources and Activities (SAP);  The theme of the Conference is Sustaining Progress, and recommendations will be presented to Environment ministers.

New council aims at innovation to take us onwards

Seychelles Nation - 19.03.2010
The newly formed Seychelles Innovation and Technology Council aims to promote a creative society to bring Seychelles towards a new stage in its development.

Its chairman Dr Rolph Payet said this during the first meeting with all the other members, in the Vice-President’s office at State House yesterday.

In his opening remarks, he said the council brings together a wide diversity of talented individuals to work towards creating a platform for innovation.

“The council will create the drive and motivation for innovation,” he said.

He said innovation is about change, the need to continuously improve on things and, above all, it is a way of life. It is meeting the needs of today’s generation and preparing for tomorrow’s generation.
“It has to dominate in our productive industries, such as fisheries and tourism, and also in sports and our culture,” added Dr Payet.

He said innovation has to permeate our society and our social fabric so as to address our current social challenges.
The role of the council is to interact with the government, the private sector and all stakeholders, to see how we can develop and review the way we do things, he added.

And it is also about how we can improve our services and bring innovation into the lives of Seychellois, as there is a need for us to develop our potential and bring in new ideas.

“There are many innovations that have taken place in the environment, using ideas from different organisations,” said Dr Payet.

He said innovation is not always about technological development but it also means new ideas and ways of doing things for the benefit of our economy, our people and our country.

Dr Payet also spoke about the variety of activities proposed by the council for this year, including the launch of the Seychelles Innovation Programme, which may lead to national innovation awards.

He said the University of Seychelles also plays a key role in fostering innovation as it carries out a great deal of research.

“We have to take models from countries like Singapore, which has invested in its social resources to move forward,” he added.

Seychelles has been recently recognised as a country that has put in place certain innovations, especially in the environment, he said. President James Michel received awards last year from Unesco and Lebanon on our behalf, which shows our potential.

Other educational activities to feature during the year will be national quizzes and spelling-bees, and promotion of research in educational institutions.

The council also has some long-term objectives, which include nurturing creativity and innovation as part of a lifelong learning process at all levels of society, and making all educational institutions centres of learning, creativity and innovation.

The new council’s role was outlined in Mr Michel’s recent state-of-the-nation address, in which he stressed that the innovative drive of the Seychellois people has been recognised internationally.

Its members are from the fields of business, industry, economics, education, the law and the arts.

UniSey hosts induction for trainee teachers

Seychelles Nation - 15.03.2010
A group of 85 students who have enrolled on the University of Seychelles’ (UniSey) School of Education programme attended an induction session at their auditorium, Mont Fleuri, last week.

These students are following a two-year foundation programme leading eventually to a bachelor of education degree.

During the meeting, UniSey vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet spoke about the university and its policies, in the presence of School of Education head Alex Souffe, UniSey’s School of Sciences dean Dr George Ah-Thew and registrar Elvis Julie.

They gave presentations on a variety of subjects such as student regulations, code of conduct, academic calendar and allowances.

Dr Payet said induction is very important for students, as they need to know what is expected from them so they can enter the university’s framework.

He said these students were chosen according to their grades and they had to meet the entry requirements. They are made up of S5 school leavers and those who did not get the necessary grades after their ex-National Institute of Education exams and A-levels.

A-level students who have not performed well can resit the exams and then enrol on the first year of the degree programme after gaining the required grades, Dr Payet said.

“The foundation course is a special one, and we have decided to enrol S5 leavers as there is a great demand for teachers here,” he said.

He added that the programme will equip students with the basic and necessary skills, for example in English, maths, communication and research to better prepare them for degree courses.

The programme, which started on Monday, is certified by Cambridge University, and after achieving that level students can join the degree courses, Dr Payet said.

He said UniSey will help to raise standards in schools, but this does not mean there are no good teachers at present.

Since there is now a university here we can work more closely with the schools, and trainee teachers can do research here for the benefit of the schools, children and students.

“We want to train good teachers to bring about the change that we need in schools; at present there are many expatriates here,” he said.

During the degree course, students will get the opportunity to do their practical work here in our own schools, he added.

Dr Payet said there is also a scheme for teachers who have completed their diploma and advanced diploma, and this will be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Education.

He added that the university does not tap into the budget set by the government for primary and secondary schools. Instead, it uses the scholarship funds which have previously sent students abroad.

“Now we have a university here, and it is offering many courses at cheaper rates for the people of Seychelles,” he said.

The teachers’ training to graduate level will be done in partnership with Edith Cowan University in Australia, the University of London and the University of Reunion.

The School of Education is offering a four-year degree course in early childhood and primary education.

And those who want to teach at secondary level will be able to choose a three-year specialist subject degree that will be followed by a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

This specialist degree will be offered in a variety of subjects such as English, French, history and geography.