UniSey partners with top Mauritius resorts for hotel management degree |06 August 2012

The memorandums of understanding were signed at the UniSey lounge, Anse Royale, by the university’s vice-chancellor, Marina Confait, with the human resource managers of Shanti Maurice and Beachcomber hotels, Deepak Balgobin and Bertrand Piat, respectively.

To date, 17 students have enrolled for the four-year course, leading to a BSc, to be run by UniSey in partnership with the Seychelles Tourism Academy (STA) with the assistance of the partner hotel groups.

Constance Hotels and two other tourism organisations in Mauritius are expected to join the partnership in due course.

Addressing students and guests, who included UniSey’s president and pro-chancellor Prof Rolf Payet, pro-vice chancellor Lucy Athanasius, principal secretaries, STA principal Flavien Joubert and the MNA for Anse Royale Dereck Samson, Mrs Confait noted that both Shanti and Beachcomber are top ranked five-star resorts, with the capacity to provide rich training experience.

She noted that these hotel groups are already in partnership with the STA and the academy has facilitated the partnership for UniSey through a recent study visit of the hotel environments.

“From what we have seen in Mauritius, I am convinced that the partnership is based on solid foundation, which will last long-term.”

Mr Joubert and Peter Moncherry of the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) helped establish contacts in Mauritius for the new programme.

The last cohort of hotel management students from the STA will leave for Shannon College, Ireland in August to complete their diploma course.

Mr Balgobin noted that besides the Shanti Maurice, which boasts the best wellness and Spa in Mauritius, where Seychellois students will also benefit, the NIRA Hotels & Resort is also planning a 78-room establishment on Mahe, along with tourism projects in the Malagasy island of Nosi Be, Zanzibar, Kenya and Mozambique.

Mr Piat of Beachcomber, noted the group already has a resort on St Anne, where students may undergo practical training in tourism management, besides several other resorts in Mauritius.

He added that the standards of Seychellois staff working at the Beachcomber hotel are already high and what they can learn from the Mauritius establishments is viewed as complementary.

“I have no doubt that in a few more years, there will be a whole strata of Seychellois hotel managers throughout the islands,” he said.

Speaking to the press after the signing ceremony, the Dean of UniSey’s Faculty of Humanities, Ganesh Chelumbrun, said that the first year will comprise 12 weeks of practical training at various hotels in Seychelles. This will be at such resorts as St Anne Beachcomber and Constance Ephelia and Lemuria. The second year will give students eight weeks practical at various Beachcomber, Constance and Shanti resorts in Mauritius, and the following year, advanced practicals are being planned in France.

Mr Chelumbrun said the attachments to local and foreign hotels are planned to give the students maximum exposure to various aspects of the tourism trade.

Among the requirements for the four-year hospitality and tourism management degree, leading to a BSc starting in September, are two A-Levels and good O-levels including English and maths.