The first international conference on education organised by the University of Seychelles (UniSey) was officially opened by the Minister for Education Mrs Macsuzy Mondon. The opening ceremony was held at the AVANI Seychelles Resort and Spa on Sunday 5th July 2015 and present at the ceremony was Honourable Justice Duraikannu Karunakaran, Ambassador Barry Faure, Ministers, UniSey management, invited guests.
The conference under the theme ‘Rethinking Education in Small Island Developing States’ has invited international and local speakers to present their research on the theme of the conference either as a paper or as a poster. The two-day presentation will provide a forum for academics, professionals and teachers to discuss new directions of research and discovery in education in Small Island Developing States. The research-based papers will relate to the following conference theme including:
- Teacher education
- Leadership and management
- Teaching and assessment
- Medium of instruction
- Teaching and learning (pedagogical innovation)
- Policies/reform
- Gender
- Curriculum
- Evidence-based practice
The first day of presentation for the international conference on education is currently taking place at the AVANI Seychelles Barbarons Resort & Spa. International and local speakers will present their research on the theme of the conference either as a paper or as a poster.
In her welcoming address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Seychelles, Professor Dennis Hardy, mentioned that UniSey is investing a lot of time and effort in promoting research initiatives in important areas. “Our mission at UniSey is to provide the nation with a source of education training that would assist in the transition towards a knowledge economy”, he continued.
When officially opening the ceremony, Minister Mondon gave an overview of education in Seychelles and indicated that the conference will be beneficial for the experts in the field to “reflect on education and create a unique opportunity for local educators to broaden their horizon”.
During the ceremony the Gibraltar Minister of Education, Mr Gilbert Licudi made a small presentation on “Educational Challenges and Opportunities in Small Territories: The Case of Gibraltar”. The first keynote speaker to make his presentation was Professor Michael Crossley and his address was about “Rethinking, Applying and Extending Research on Education in Small Island Developing States (SIDS)”.