Indian private universities setting up shop in Mauritius
Two of the largest private universities in India, the DY Patil Medical College and Amity University, are in the process of setting up their campuses in Mauritius. The JSS Mahavidyapeetha (JSSMVP), a Karnataka-based educational foundation, established the JSS Academy of Technical Education in Mauritius in 2006.
As private universities in India seek to expand to foreign shores, Mauritius is an obvious choice for its proactive plans for expanding higher education in the country.
The government in the Indian Ocean island nation, with a population of 1.3 million, has placed a strong focus on education. Education is free until the college level and is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 12 years.
Amity University's director of international affairs General R.K. Dhawan told IANS: "The Mauritiusgovernment has very good policies on higher education. It is the objective of the Mauritius leadership to have one graduate in every family by 2020. With this type of commitment to education, the policy is very supportive of higher education."
By attracting foreign universities to open new campuses in Mauritius, the government plans to increase the enrolment in tertiary education within the country as well as attract foreign students. The presence of large, dynamic private universities like Amity and DY Patil will help bring in foreign students from African countries and other parts of the world. This will help to make Mauritius a knowledge hub in the African region.
All three educational groups are among the larger private educational institutions in India. The DY Patil Group has three universities in India, at Navi Mumbai, Pune and Kolhapur. A fast-growing university, Amity has the experience of opening campuses in Dubai, Singapore, Britain and the US.
JSS Academy is located in a sprawling eight-acre campus in Bonne Terre, Vocoas, and aims to be the centre of excellence in technical education in the region.
Amity will begin enrolment for its campus in Mauritius this year.
