Joelle Perreau inaugurated as the fifth vice-chancellor of UniSey |19 March 2021

Joelle Perreau was formally inaugurated yesterday as the fifth vice-chancellor of the University of Seychelles (UniSey), succeeding Dr Justin Valentin who is now the country’s new education minister.

Ms Perreau’s inauguration took place in a small socially distanced ceremony at UniSey’s theatre attended by the President of the Republic, Wavel Ramkalawan, government officials, invited guests and the family and friends of Ms Perreau.

Ms Perreau becomes the first female vice-chancellor since the university's inception in 2009.

A vice-chancellor is the principal academic and administrative officer of a university and his roles are to provide leadership, academic and administrative direction to the whole university.

Additionally, their responsibility is to secure a financial base sufficient to allow the delivery of the university’s mission, aims and objectives. They also carry out certain important ceremonial and civic duties.

The ceremony started with the arrival of the platform party led by the registrar with the mace, accompanied by the council chair Dennis Hardy, vice-chancellor, deans and UniSey executive members. This was followed by the university’s national anthem ‘Our future in our hands’.

“Joelle is already a familiar figure in the world of education in Seychelles, having worked and excelled at different levels – in schools and then teacher training, as a lecturer in higher education and then as Dean. Fluent in three languages, she also has an international reach. Her appointment as vice-chancellor marks a further progression in an exemplary career,” said Professor Hardy while introducing the vice-chancellor.

He added that Ms Perreau took her new post in a very difficult time because instead of meeting staff and students in a relaxed setting, at the beginning of the year the campus was closed and the nation was in partial lockdown.

“However through the vice-chancellor’s resourcefulness, she managed to make it work.

“In the months ahead, we will know more about UniSey’s place as the national university. There is a new strategic plan to develop, a robust business model to agree, and a successful QA review to be achieved. The V-C has progressive ideas about campus development; and she knows well how important it is to Seychelles to attract international students. And all of these major issues have to be managed at the same time as the numerous day-to-day issues that crop up,” he said.

He ended by saying that the vice-chancellor has a good support system at the university and wished her good luck on her tenure.

For her part, Ms Perreau said she feels honoured to be inaugurated as the fifth vice-chancellor of our national university.

“I have been working at this university since its inception and confirmed as a lecturer on January 1, 2010. I have held different posts – head of programme, dean of faculty, and now, vice-chancellor. It has been a long, instructive, interestingly-challenging journey that has shaped me into an academic, standing confidently here today,” said the vice-chancellor.

Ms Perreau, who was born in Anse Aux Pins, noted that she is proud of her beginnings as from her early childhood years, through primary and secondary education, she has been taught, motivated, inspired and pushed at the Anse Aux Pins school by dedicated, well-qualified teachers.

“Today, I would like to thank and pay tribute to all of them. I would also like to make special mention of all my classmates who are still very present in my life until now. After primary nine (P9), I did two years at the National Youth Service. After that, I came here, at this same campus, in the same classrooms and labs, to study for my O’ and A’ Levels. Today, 29 years later, I stand on this same campus, humbly accepting the responsibility as the fifth vice-chancellor of our national university,” she said.

The vice-chancellor continued by saying that she acknowledges the extraordinary responsibilities that come with her new title and she understands the importance of it, but nonetheless she is ready to dedicate all the time and effort necessary towards the position.

“I acknowledge, with humility, the trust that has been vested in me by the UniSey Council, to take up such an important role, and I pledge that I will do all in my capacity to serve, as best as possible, at the expected level,” she said.

“I sincerely believe that this responsibility is not one that I will defend alone. UniSey already has a hard-working, loyal and committed staff that I know always put in extra effort to make sure everything we do is done at the highest standard and quality. I have accepted this new role, which I consider as a duty rather than just a job, with the confidence that I will be supported by all my colleagues. Previous vice-chancellors have already established strong foundations on which I can continue to build. In the room today, we have two of my predecessors – Professor Hardy our current Council Chair and Minister Valentin, the outgoing vice-chancellor. It touches me to know that our very first VC, Professor Rolph Payet, is also following the ceremony on YouTube. The path, structure and main roles of the university have been well laid down by all of my predecessors, as well as colleagues, who have, at one point in time, brought their contribution towards its advancement. I would like to thank them for paving the way for us.”

In her address Ms Perreau also took the chance to thank former President James Michel for the role he has played in putting the university on its feet.

Ms Perreau said during her tenure in office she will put emphasis on four main objectives.

The first one is to provide the best higher education training programmes to students. The University of Seychelles, after almost 11 years since it was launched in 2009, has tripled the number of long programmes on offer ranging from Diplomas, Bachelor Degrees, Post-graduate programmes and Masters programmes.

Unisey is also finalising a framework for doctoral studies and this will soon be presented for the Seychelles Qualifications Authority’s validation. The university also plans to develop more twinning programmes with renowned universities in the world, to provide a wider outlook to students.

“We know that we can count on the support of the Ministry for Education in this venture,” she said.

With more twinning UniSey also looks forward to working with its colleagues from

the professional centres “so that we can propose pathways for their students to access higher education through UniSey”.

“This year is a special year for UniSey, because we are going through our second re-accreditation as a university. We hope that in a few months, we will receive full re-accreditation to continue functioning as the sole national university in Seychelles. I would like to thank the SQA for all the support, guidance and advice that it is continuously providing to us,” she said.

The second objective is to place more emphasis on research and publications. A country's development and progress should not rely solely on practical, political and economic day-to-day-informed decisions,” noted Ms Perreau.

“It is important and wise to support these decisions with evidence-based academic and scientific research findings as well. The University of Seychelles is here to play such a role. Provide reliable data and analyses to the country, to help guarantee more sustainable, well-thought-through, informed decisions that would push our nation to greater heights in a more responsible and

reflective manner. We already have three research institutes at the University: the James Michel Blue Economy Research Institute, the Peace and Diplomacy Research Institute inspired by the late Sir James Mancham and the Creole Language and Culture Research Institute.”

She further stressed the importance of having more research and more publications done on the Creole language as we are the only university who can do so.

The third objective is to implement our globalisation policy. This policy enables UniSey to welcome international students, scholars and researchers and to send local students and staff to experience other countries and their universities.

UniSey has already established partnerships with universities in Europe, Africa and Asia.

“Hopefully, we will be in a position to launch our exchange programmes. In the region, we are comforted by the fact that the Indian Ocean Erasmus programme will kickstart. What we urgently need to make this project successful is student accommodation! UniSey is already a member of the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA), the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and ‘Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie’ (AUF).

She added that the AUF is composed of 1007 universities in 119 countries and the fact that the University of Seychelles is a member of such a group university, opens up immense opportunities for exchanges, research and partnerships for our students and teachers-researchers.

The fourth and last objective is to develop the UniSey campus, upgrade resources and improve on the school’s technology.

“Our current and unfortunate health crisis has shown that, as long as we have strong, stable, reliable and cost-effective resources and technology, we can still operate as a normal university even under the most difficult circumstances. However, the same crisis has also shown us our areas of weakness and one of them is the slow and unreliable Internet connection.”

The vice-chancellor noted that for the University of Seychelles to progress and offer more modern opportunities to students, we need appropriate space and strong, stable, reliable, cost-effective technology.

“Our campuses are old, full and they do not facilitate our progress. UniSey could do much more if we were assisted and supported in our campus development project. Our students would benefit directly from a more modern, well-resourced and spacious campus. We consider this as a priority and we will work towards getting a better learning environment for our students.”

In conclusion Ms Perreau thanked the numerous women who have inspired her and guided her in her life starting with her mother.

“I know that all these ladies, who have been supporting me, inspiring

me and motivating me all my life, will continue to do so and even more now that I am holding this important position at the university,” she said.

She further added that intelligence is not always validated by diplomas, by a certain look, or a particular profile.

“Pure and natural intelligence is visible in the generosity, sense of patriotism and professionalism of many Seychellois. The University of Seychelles will continue to enhance and to make visible all these men and women who have brought and who continue to contribute enormously to the development of the educational, intellectual, scientific, cultural and social environment of the Seychellois nation.”

She ended her speech with a phrase that her late father used to tell her: “Touzour fer sa ki byen menm si sa ki mal i pli tantan e enteresan. Touzour koz ou laverite dapre ou leker e ou konsyans avek respe e tolerans pour lezot. Kontan e respekte lavi e le byen pour revin ver ou.”

Following Ms Perreau’s address, President Ramkalawan also took the stage where he congratulated the new vice-chancellor and wished her success on her new role.

The president also acknowledged all the points that Ms Perreau mentioned in her address and will work alongside the vice-chancellor to make UniSey a National University.

The accompanying photos show some highlights of Ms Perreau’s inauguration ceremony.

Christophe Zialor