Manraj Report on the UoM: Vulnerabilities Identified for Restructuring

The University of Mauritius is plagued by bottlenecks at the level of decision-making on a daily basis by a concentration of power at the top management, poor demarcation of responsibilities, a lack of long-term planning and by inferior services offered to students.

Instead of this obsolete system that no longer meets the needs and realities of the country, the visitor Dev Manraj proposes a new structure of university organization and redefining the responsibilities of agencies UoM and conditions of service of its employees various levels of government.

UoM RDF to fund advanced research

The Pro Vice-Chancellors of the UOM will assume new responsibilities. It will redefine the various positions for employees to assume more specific responsibilities. The report makes provision for various statutory committees and secretaries to the use of 'Chartered Secretary' Council of the University.

The report of the visitor to the University of Mauritius (UOM), Dev Manraj was made public with the agreement of the Prime Minister on Tuesday morning. Dev Manraj was appointed by the PM to review the operation of the UOM and to make recommendations for its restructuring. Two special reports were made concerning the UOM Trust and courses in pharmacy, including BPharm, offered by the university.

The Board of UOM held a special meeting last Thursday, and it was then that the Pro-Chancellor, Professor Soodursun Jugessur, approved the document that was distributed to the UOM Tuesday. Recommendations have been made by considering models of academic success abroad and our realities.

Dev Manraj recommends the creation of a Faculty of Information Technology and the Medical and Health Sciences. It also proposes the reorganization of the Faculty of Agriculture, expanding its portfolio to include over Ocean Studies. The UOM must adopt a policy to be patented inventions arising from university research, to sell to businesses. An advisory committee should be established to ensure better collaboration between tertiary institutions and the private sector, and a unit should be established to better guide the students on their employability and career choices.

Dev Manraj suggests that UoM Research and Development Fund (RDF UoM) was established to fund research and develop appropriate infrastructure on campus. As stated at the beginning of the Visitor's report, management UOM failed to adapt to the rapid developments that have taken place at the university. The board had decided on a restructuring plan in order to manage the university to date with the dynamic environment of tertiary institution which has not been adopted yet.