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Mauritius becoming a Knowledge Society

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Google is 23 years old today: the company started in 1998, the year Christina and I were finishing our studies in France.

Within a few years, Google would perfect its search engine and create all the novel products it is known for today (Android, Gmail, etc). I do not know much about the way the company works and, maybe, this is one of the few things I regret. I was interviewed by Google in April 2007 but I was not offered a job there. I wonder how my life would have been different if I had obtained the job. Or, in March 2008, when I was offered a job in San Francisco by a consulting company but I had to decline because of the infamous Global Financial Crisis then.

Anyway, for the past 23 years, Christina have been in Mauritius. And we are very happy to have lived this quarter of a century here. We have had two wonderful kids who are big enough to fare for themselves now (and they are not spoilt) and we have managed, over the years, to forge formidable memories with family and friends (and these memories are preserved thanks to public photos and private videos).

In many ways, the world we live in today, where I can easily speak to my daughter in France every day, is one imagined by the founders of companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. They dreamt of an always connected world and we are living in one now.

I also need to pay tribute to all the UNIX and Linux geeks in the world. Thanks to them and over open-source software developers all over the world, software works. Most of the formidable things we admire today (think Tesla cars or the datacenters of Google or Amazon) are powered by Linux and open-source software. Apple is also a major user of open-source software, most notably BSD and Mach for its operating system, macOS.

Of course, not everything is rosy for the Mauritian population. Some people are still on the other side of the digital divide and some still do not know how to use technology for enriching their lives. And, to be blunt, some use technology to (try to) keep people in the dark ages…

But one thing I have been thinking about for a long time now is to use the existing technology infrastructure in Mauritius (the fibre, the Internet and the myriad of online services provided by companies such as Google), to transform the country into a Knowledge Country, not only a Knowledge Economy.

I think that our people are sophisticated enough to form part of a Knowledge Society.

What do you think? What does a Knowledge Society looks like? How can we create one? How can we reach enlightenment?

How to (really) learn

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Yesterday, I watched an intriguing video on YouTube called How I’d Learn Music Theory (If I Had To Start Over) and, interestingly, it’s not really about music theory only but is about how to learn in general. One of the key recommendations was to read articles from research journals and, because the video was about music theory, a peer-reviewed journal called Music Theory Online was mentioned.

In it, I found this interesting research paper, which is actually an “essay”, by Jeremy W. Smith from the School of Music at the University of Louisville in Kentucky, USA. It is about how modern music uses pitch slides (glissandos), crescendos, fade ins, accelerandos, and filter sweeps (which the author calls continuous processes) to create excitement and tension, compared to more traditional notes, melodies and harmonies (which are discrete). Clearly, the author had a lot of fun and is surely a fan of EDM like me.

Underlying everything in the video is the fact that, instead of learning theory for the sake of theory, one should learn enough theory in order to get interesting things done and then learn more of the theory to get more interesting things done, etc., etc. And connect things which were previously disconnected.

By coincidence, I also read The Age of the Essay by Paul Graham yesterday, and he says: “Study lots of different things, because some of the most interesting surprises are unexpected connections between different fields. For example, jam, bacon, pickles, and cheese, which are among the most pleasing of foods, were all originally intended as methods of preservation. And so were books and paintings.”

I fully agree with these sentiments.

UNDP Accelerator Lab : First Collective Intelligence Exercise with Stakeholders of the Tourism Sector

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A big thank you to all those who participated in our first Collective Intelligence Exercise

Since its launch in April 2021, the UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles Accelerator Lab has engaged with several stakeholders in the tourism sector, at various levels, to understand how local Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have been impacted by the pandemic. As Mauritius is set to open its borders on 15 July, the level of optimism in the tourism sector is increasing but the re-opening also comes with a set of challenges, particularly for local MSMEs which will have to adapt quickly.

Getting Smarter Together

One interesting tool in our toolkit is Collective Intelligence. This is not a new concept. In fact, it has existed for centuries. Societies have relied on collective intelligence to share knowledge and practices to find solutions to complex issues.

Consequently, to better grasp the challenges which MSMEs will face following the re-opening of the borders, the UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles Accelerator Lab embarked on a Collective Intelligence exercise with over 15 representatives from the private (including MSMEs), public, academic, civil society, and innovation spheres. The advent of the “digital age” and not forgetting, the collapse of “face-to-face” interactions due to COVID-19 related restrictions, means that the exercise was done online.

We would like to thank the group of 15 participants for their contributions and their eagerness to collaborate to ensure that the re-opening benefits all:

  • Asif Jeetun, Economics Analyst, Business Mauritius
  • Bernard Cayeux, Founder, Book Mauritius Villas
  • Daden Venkatasawmy, Head, Collaborative Economic Development, Business Mauritius
  • Daveena Aubeeluck-Bauluck, Co-Director / Administrative Secretary, Scuba World Mauritius
  • Diya Nababsing-Jetshan, Head of Technology & Digital Transformation, IBL Group
  • Issana Agathe, Manager, Rodrigues Tourism Office
  • Jean-Yan Norbert, Communication Assistant at UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles
  • Leevana Kistnen, Representative from SME Mauritius
  • Marie Paule Pierre Louis Rango, Éco Ballade (Rodrigues)
  • Marie Stephania Perrine, Founding Curator, Global Shapers Rodrigues
  • Matthieu Appassamy, Managing Director, Holiday Lettings
  • Nassima Sadar, Strategy & Partnerships, Living Labs Foundation & Co-Founder of Mo Angels
  • Natacha Emilien, Co-Founder & Managing Director, Red Dot
  • Rajendra Payen, Administration & Operations Director, Blue Acqua World, Trou D’eau Douce
  • Sandrine Sumodhee, Strategic Project Manager & Business Development, Albion Encounters by AIC International Ltd
  • Sharma Seechurn, Research and Development Coordinator, Human Resource Development Council
  • Sharon Sunassee, Communication Assistant at UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles
  • Sophie Montocchio, Independent Consultant and Founder of Parapli Rouz
  • Stéphane Bellerose, Communications Specialist, UNDP Mauritius and Seychelles

Growing optimism amid challenges

Before kicking off, we asked all the participants to let us know their level of optimism for the re-opening of Mauritian borders and the potential for a recovery in the tourism sector. Most participants expressed slight optimism, which was a good note to start our discussion. Many recognized that the challenge is not over and that the sector will need to re-invent itself to sustain further shocks.

Participants were divided into three groups which were each facilitated by a member of the Accelerator Lab team. These smaller group discussions revolved around four main questions and the Accelerator Lab used Mural to capture live insights.

After the breakout sessions, all participants came back to the plenary session and, in the end, several important policies to potentially help MSMEs navigate these difficult times were identified.

We learned a lot more from this exercise and we will continue to share insights and outcomes in a series of upcoming blogs to amplify diverse voices and experiences. Stay tuned!