Yesterday, I participated in a panel on “Strategies for Effective University-Industry Research Collaboration” during the National Research Week organised by the Tertiary Education Commission. The panel was moderated by Prof Jhurry, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Mauritius and the other participants were Dr Nitin Gopaul from the Mauritius Research Council, Mr S Subbarayan, Legal Affairs Director at the University of Mauritius, Dr Dinesh Somanah, Director General of the Université des Mascareignes and Mr Akhilalandjee Goolaub, Assistant Director Extension and Training at the Food and Agricultural Research & Extension Institute.

My take is that academics (lecturers and researches in universities) will only effectively collaborate with people from industry if they trust each other. I’ve been in both worlds and academics and business people are different. It is therefore important to build meaningful relationships before even contemplating working together. And this takes a lot of time and energy. My suggestions was to invite business people to universities more regularly: to have a chat, for guest lectures, etc. I also told academics to go and spend a day in a business from time to time. Another panelist suggested that academics could opt to spend one whole year in a business. And Prof Jhurry said that academics could have the right to create / join a company. That would require some amendments in the acts of public universities but why not? I proposed to Dr Nitin Gopaul to work with the four public universities on a budget proposal on this theme. I would love this to happen!

I also had the great pleasure to meet Prof Theng Yin-Leng from the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and we talked extensively on how commonalities and differences between Singapore and Mauritius. Our consensus is that, to move in the proper direction, a strong vision, a well-thought of strategy and good execution are required. And, of course, everything depend on good people…

Mauritius is a wonderful place. We live in one of the few full democracies in the world and the quality of life in the country is very good for a lot of us. Of course, there are many issues, some of them major (like the proliferation of drug) but most of them are quite minor compared to what people have to endure in other (nearby) countries. Unfortunately, one of the major issues I have noticed is that we are not told about the concept of the common good when we are at school. Quoting Wikipedia:

[T]he common good refers to either what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, or alternatively, what is achieved by citizenship, collective action, and active participation in the realm of politics and public service […]

In other words, Mauritius will become a better country only when we, “citizens”, engage in “collective action” and “active participation in the realm of politics and public service”. When one does not understand the importance of the common good, one tends to focus on herself, her immediate circle and/or her work. Remember what John F. Kennedy said? “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

I therefore wish you all a very happy New Year 2019 and I hope all your dreams will come true.

But, as a favour, dream a bit about our country, Mauritius, too. And act to make these dreams come true too.