Ministry of Education signs MOU with SEGi University & Colleges |31 August 2023

PS John Lesperance signing the memorandum of understanding alongside the managing director of SEGi University & Colleges, Stella Lau (Photo: Neil Sirame)

Tuesday marked a significant milestone for higher education in Seychelles as Africa Open Learning officially launched its online higher education platform in collaboration with the Ministry of Education in Seychelles.

In a press conference held on Tuesday morning at the ministry’s headquarters in Mont Fleuri, principal secretary for education sector development, John Lesperance signed the memorandum of understanding alongside the managing director of SEGi University & Colleges, Stella Lau, with the aim to provide accessible, flexible, and high-quality education opportunities to learners across Seychelles and beyond.

This was done in the presence of Education Minister, Dr Justin Valentin, and the co-founder of Africa Open Learning platform, Kabilan Muniandy.

In her address, Ms Lau mentioned that SEGi University was honoured to be the content provider in developing programmes for the needs of Seychelles as well as the entire African region in the coming future.

Ms Lau emphasised their goals which are to extend accessibility and to open up access to all people from all walks of life.

“Education should not be confined to a brick and mortar university but it should be accessible across borders, and across all needs and all learning capabilities,” said Ms Lau.

She stated that there are different programmes suited for different people but they are emphasising on working adults for open and distance learning.

“Where it is not possible to put their life on hold to enroll in a university full time, we are here to say you do not have to choose, you can have the best of both worlds through the Africa Open Learning,” explained the director of SEGi University.

Ms Lau said she was very excited to have this opportunity to widen the scope to make education accessible to all. She thanked the Seychelles’ education ministry for having the foresight and ambition to better improve the lives of its citizens.

 “On behalf of SEGi, I invite aspiring learners from all walks of life to embark on an exciting and transformative educational adventure with Africa Open Learning. Enroll now to unlock a world of possibilities and realise your true potential,” added Ms Lau.

Speaking to the attendees, Minister Valentin stated that since the beginning of the year the Seychelles government made an important move with respect to self-funding for higher education studies and introduced student loans.

“The main idea behind student loan is to facilitate and support students who want to pay their own studies and already we are beginning to see some positive effects of this initiative,” said Minister Valentin.

He mentioned that this collaboration with the SEGi University is simply adding a new element to the overall concept of access to higher education. The Ministry of Education has worked with the Malaysian honorary consul, Kabilan Muniandy and the management of SEGi University & Colleges to introduce prospective Seychellois students to the online open distance learning platform.

“As much as we believe in physical teaching and contact learning, we also acknowledge the many number of students who want to go for open and distance learning and of course paying for their own degree,” said Minister Valentin.

He also said that the new training mode complements what the University of Seychelles (UniSey) and all other institutions are offering. “We are giving to many prospective students a good deal as the fees for these programmes are affordable with a long list of programmes for the students to choose from,” stated the minister.

Citing the impact of past international programme schemes which have revolutionised higher education programmes in Seychelles, Minister Valentin said he expects the African Learning Platform to have the same powerful effect of transforming education.

They also expect movements from institutions working with SEGi to facilitate these programmes and make them more effective and better. “With this I am very excited to give the Ministry of Education’s endorsement towards this programme and thank everybody who contributed in making this initiative possible,” added Minister Valentin.

Africa Open Learning provides a pathway to higher education that is inclusive, adaptable, cost-effective, and accessible to a wide range of learners. Its flexibility and use of technology make it well-suited to meet the evolving needs of students in a rapidly changing educational landscape. They offer a comprehensive catalogue of programmes, led by their team of highly professional and skilled lecturers.

Programmes on offer include diplomas, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in a variety of fields, including business and accounting, communication studies, early childhood care and education (ECCE), technology and innovation, and hospitality.

Neil Sirame