UniSey welcomes new students |25 September 2012

Ms Confait addressing guests and students yesterday at the start of the UniSey’s fourth academic year

This was during a ceremony at the UniSey auditorium at Anse Royale attended by ministers, UniSey’s pro chancellor Dr Rolph Payet, pro-vice chancellor Lucy Athanasius, members of the diplomatic corps among other distinguished guests and the students themselves.

The students, who have started their induction process since last week, are expected to start lessons proper beginning of October.

In her remarks to welcome the new cohort, UniSey’s vice-chancellor Marina Confait called on them to be committed to their studies.

“My advice to you students is to be open to learning, work hard for success, unleash your potential, be an ally of the future by being innovative, knowing that you can take your destiny in your own hands,” Ms Confait told the new group.

She also called on parents, friends, colleagues and employers to encourage the students to persevere in  their studies.

Ms Confait highlighted the various advantages students who choose to study at UniSey have.
“As you undertake your studies at UniSey you are close to home with the support of your families and friends. You are in small groups which makes learning and lecturer interactions easier, you benefit from internships in relevant work environment which could be your future workplace,” Ms Confait said.

She also noted that UniSey is strengthening student welfare services to make students’ time there more interesting and memorable.

With regard to UniSey’s theme for this academic year which is ‘Collaborating to realise optimum potential’, Ms Confait stressed that it is essential for all stakeholders to provide support, enable team work, networking and partnership which are vital for the institution to achieve its goals.

At this point she called on the UniSey management, support staff, lecturers, ministries and agencies, parents and all of the institution’s corporate partners to collaborate strongly to help UniSey realise the theme.

To the students, Ms Confait said “to realise optimum potential is about giving our best, working hard and smart, striving for top grades and investing in ourselves”.

Ms Confait also talked about the challenges the UniSey had faced since it opened its doors in September 2009 with a first cohort of only 53 students.

But she stressed that in spite of everything, the institution is gradually establishing itself in the Seychelles academic landscape with its motto ‘The future is in your hands’.

She noted that the different courses the institution runs jointly with international reputable universities have increased ten-fold and its student population has grown significantly from 53 to just under 400, 75% of whom are women.

She pointed out that the expansion of courses has called for more lecturers and in line with that she said the institution has recruited eight new lecturers from Mauritius for this new academic year.

It is to be noted that the UniSey will celebrate its first graduation in November this year, a historic occasion which Ms Confait said will produce the first cohort of undergraduate on Seychelles soil and UniSey’s tangible contribution to the local workforce.

The ceremony yesterday also included welcoming remarks by UniSey’s registrar Michel Denousse and law student Errol Sophola, poems and songs by education students.

Father Danny Elizabeth from the Anglican Church and Father Louison Bissila from the Catholic Church held prayers and blessings for the students and all those present.