Reviving research tradition |01 February 2024

UUniSey vice-chancellor Joëlle Perreau addressing the guests (Photos: Sunny Esparon)

UniSey relaunches weekly research seminars

The Education and Socio-Economic Research Institute of the University of Seychelles has officially revived a long tradition, namely the weekly research seminars, to mark the university’s 15th anniversary.

The interdisciplinary research seminars was relaunched yesterday at the Anse Royale campus where guests listened to a one-and-a-half-hour session on ‘Practise-based Enquiry’ presented by the dean of the faculty of business and sustainable development, Dr Michael Hall.

The aim of interdisciplinary research seminar is to bring together a group of people from across the university to gain a deeper understanding of interdisciplinary research.

In her official speech, University of Seychelles (UniSey) vice-chancellor Joëlle Perreau described it as an important day for the university. “Those who remember, we used to have this years back. At that time, we had one research institute that combined creole and education,” said Ms Perreau.

Ms Perreau added that the relaunch means that effective now, every Wednesday afternoon will be dedicated to a research presentation either by the institute or anyone internally at the university.

“We would like to invite and re-invite our Seychellois researchers or anybody else to come and present. We would like this to be a national Wednesday afternoon seminar research opportunity,” she added.

Although it may start on the UniSey campus, it can eventually expand to other external areas, but the important part is to keep it as a routine, said Ms Perreau.

The research seminar features on the new UniSey calendar approved by senate, and it will be managed by the research and innovation committee.

Ms Perreau described it “as an important day for higher education in Seychelles,” stating that there is a lot of research being done but the lack of focus on them means there is not enough people talking about them.

The Wednesday sessions will also be recorded and uploaded to the university’s social media accounts. “I really hope this will become popular, famous and respected at the highest standard possible,” noted Ms Perreau.

In the first presentation yesterday on ‘Practise-based Enquiry’, Dr Hall explored some of the most pertinent themes, including human beings, their traits and multiple identities.

He noted that the concept of ‘Practise-based Enquiry’ came about during his PHD studies a few years back, where he was particularly interested in what teachers and students go through within a two-year period.

“What happens to them? What makes them become students and educators?”

As a researcher, he followed 45 students and teachers around and observed their behaviour as well as tried to live the life of a new student and/or teacher.

“These student-teachers were different. Some were bricklayers, construction workers, electricians and a whole range of different professions. We had one platform, one way of training teachers, and what we concluded at the end of it is that those teaching academic subjects, needed a different approach to those who were teaching vocational subjects,” explained Dr Hall.

The issue with a practise-based enquiry approach is that sometimes the concept of ethnography is dumped. “The problem with observation and this type of research stems from perception.”

Sunny Esparon