Seychelles Young Leaders Programme (SYLP)-Students of third cycle attend second semester lectures |25 October 2012

Under the direction of Lucy Athanasius, pro-vice-chancellor of the University of Seychelles (UniSey), and in collaboration with Dr John Nolan, special advisor on education to the President, and the Institute of Public Administration (IPA), Ireland), the ‘single-architecture’ SYLP programme comprises a UniSey local leadership training course and an MA degree course in leadership and strategy delivered by the IPA.

The first key SYLP activity for this second half of the semester is an intensive week-long session of lectures and workshops which began on Monday October 22 at the School of Education (UniSey) and conducted by visiting IPA lecturers Nathy Walsh and Stephen Weir.

These lectures encompass the MA degree modules of Finance and Economics. In addition, a module in Research Methods is presented, which equips the SYLP students with the necessary knowledge and skills to undertake a dissertation in year two, commencing in January 2013.

During this second semester, the SYLP students will also be required to submit a written assignment in each module and to present for the formal end-of-second semester written examinations in the three modules which will be held at the end of January 2013.

Starting on Monday November 5, the second key SYLP activity gets underway, when the students will begin their district attachment programme. In collaboration with the Ministry of Social Affairs, Community Development and Sports, and with the support of the district administrators, the UniSey allocates each SYLP student to a district for a period of approximately one month, on a full-time basis.

The aim of this programme is to immerse the SYLP students in all aspects of the work in a district administration office. Drawing on the knowledge and skills acquired in the MA degree course, the SYLP students will be required to formulate a realistic project aimed at addressing, in a concrete way, priority needs of the district to which they are assigned, and which can be implemented in that district, and considered for application in other districts.
 
Now well established within the ambit of the UniSey, the SYLP will be further enhanced by the ongoing positive and fruitful collaboration between the UniSey and the IPA.