Blue Economy Research Institute benefits from Australian support |28 August 2015

The Blue Economy Research Institute of the University of Seychelles (UniSey) will in the near future benefit from Australian help.

We will remember that the creation of the institute which will be situated at Cap Ternay was announced by President James Michel in his National Day address on June 29 this year.

The cooperation has been formalised through a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Oceans institute of the University of Western Australia. It was signed during a short ceremony at the UniSey Anse Royale campus on Wednesday morning.

The agreement focuses on developing academic and cultural interchange in teaching, research, and training among other activities. The two universities will as a result cooperate in a number of shared areas of interest including enhancing research and training capability on the oceans and the Blue economy, providing policy and managerial support in marine environmental monitoring and exploring collaborative opportunities in ocean engineering, ocean forecasting, aquaculture and coral reef health.

As the MoU had been remotely signed by the University of Western Australia, it remained only for the vice-chancellor of the UniSey, Professor Denis Hardy and the director of the Blue Economy Research Institute Kelly Hoareau to add their respective signatures.

Also present were Australia’s high commissioner to Seychelles Susan Coles, the special advisor to the minister responsible for the Blue economy Philippe Michaud, the dean of the Faculty of Science and Humanities Dr Shirley Marie among other lecturers and guests.

Wednesday’s ceremony also included the launch of a science project as part of the university’s Centre for Environmental Education. A co-initiative of the UniSey and Wildlife Club of Seychelles, the project has received funding from the Australian high commission’s Direct Aid Programme to purchase necessary materials and equipment.  These will support environmental education training that the centre provides to students, school teachers and volunteers who work with wildlife clubs.

Acknowledging the valuable support of the Australian government and expressing gratitude for the laboratory equipment, Professor Hardy referred to the occasion as a “happy event”.

He described Australia and Seychelles as two different countries, but which share one common interest which is the preservation of the future of the Indian Ocean.

He reminded that the ocean which we commonly share with about twenty other countries is a very important one in terms of environment, resources and sea route.

Mr Hardy added that it was a great honour to be associated with one of the world’s greatest universities.

He stressed that as the cooperation will benefit us all in the years ahead, Seychelles will offer its environment as a natural laboratory, as well as local expertise.

The Australian high commissioner replied that her foreign minister Julie Bishop, has justly described Seychelles as “the perfect natural laboratory”.

She went further by stating that the country will now serve as a laboratory for the Blue economy.

She hoped that gesture made by her own country will go a bit further in preserving Seychelles’ environment.

Mrs Coles stressed that Australia and Seychelles are aware of the challenges of climate change and that this has resulted in an association with Seychelles on environment protection since 2013.

She added that the two countries have been in the forefront of green and renewable energy and that the new agreement will enhance this partnership.

She described it as “innovative policy development” which all Indian Ocean countries can learn from and better prepare them not only to face climate change, but also to increase their crop yield.

“Coming ahead of the Indian Ocean Rim Association’s first ministerial meeting on the blue economy to be held in Mauritius next week, this MoU and science project are the sort of regional collaboration on research and environmental science that will underpin a solid work programme on the Blue economy going forward,” said High Commissioner Coles.

The Australian support is one of the very first partnership initiatives that the Blue Economy Research Institute benefits from.