Avinash Meetoo

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Art

Going Global Africa 2024 conference in Abuja, Nigeria

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I am thrilled to be in Abuja, the vibrant capital of Nigeria, to participate in the Going Global Africa 2024 conference, focusing on the critical theme of The Future of Education in the African Continent. This event, organised by the British Council of Nigeria in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education of Nigeria, runs from 26 to 28 November 2024.

This pan-African education conference will delve into vital topics, including both North-South and South-South partnerships. We will discuss Jobs of the Future for our youth, emphasising the importance of upskilling and reskilling the current workforce. Bridging the gap between education and industry is a priority, alongside addressing the persistent gender gap. As we advance, we must champion soft skills such as leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation, while fostering inclusion and ensuring no one is left behind. A key aspect of the conversation will be adapting curricula to incorporate local knowledge, tackle the real challenges, and nurture creativity and problem-solving skills.

I am particularly honoured to be a panelist in a session focused on how technology and innovation serve as powerful catalysts for modernising nations. The discussion will highlight how technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and the micro-credential system are important for developing the skilled technicians required in modern African economies, including Mauritius. Esteemed panelists from across Africa will enrich this dialogue with their insights and experiences.

#GoingGlobalAfrica #GGAfrica24

I obtain a certificate from UoM after attending the Anou Mont Lor Lasenn workshops

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From 23 to 25 July 2024, the University of Mauritius Theatre Lab, co-managed by Yannick Bosquet and Christina Chan-Meetoo, organised the performing arts festival “Anou Mont Lor Lasenn” to celebrate the life of Dev Virahsawmy with Kimberly Oxide. During the three days, we watched “Li”, “Kontign Larout Depi”, “Bouke Larkansiel” and “Fouka Zame Ti Pagla” and it was a resounding success.

Prior to the festival, a number of performing acts workshops were organised in order to introduce the various aspects of performance (e.g. acting, dancing, singing, music making, etc.) to the public. I attended most of the workshops and I felt deeply enriched.

On Saturday 7 September 2024, as one of the workshop attendees (but I was not able to participate in the plays for professional reasons), I received an official certificate. Interestingly, this is the first time in my life I have obtained a certificate from the University of Mauritius where I was a Lecturer in Computer Science a few years ago.

A big thank you to all the organisers, Yannick, Kimberly and Christina of course, but also to Arnaud Carpooran and other UoM senior management.

Emerging Technologies for a Sustainable Future during the National Science Week 2024

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On Thursday 28 March 2024, I was invited to make a presentation on “Emerging Technologies for a Sustainable Future” with the important subtitle of “And how important young people are for Mauritius”. This was during the National Science Week 2024 organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre at the Côte d’Or National Complex.

During my talk, I explained to a large group of young students of Grades 10-13 (Form IV to VI) what Vision 2030 is for Mauritius, how technology and innovation are important enablers to achieve this vision, how the country is facing major challenges (as is the rest of the world) and how, if we want to achieve a sustainable future, we need to have a critical mass of young professionals in green technologies and also in emerging technologies. I told the students that they are the “peopleware” of Mauritius and they are more important than hardware and/or software.

At the end, I also told them that while Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths are essential subjects, it is also important for them to develop their soft skills. Finally, I also told them to develop an artistic side in order to see further ahead…

A big thank you to the Rajiv Gandhi Science Centre for organising such an interesting event with a special mention for Dr Ellora Dhunnoo, Dr Aman Maulloo, Dr Bhamini Kamudu and Ms Natasha Nastali.