NATIONAL POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR THE SETTING UP
OF TERTIARY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN MAURITIUS
For Mauritius to position itself as a key player and a knowledge hub in the region, its Tertiary Education Sector will have to attain world-class status, and be able to attract international students, brand-name institutions of higher learning and a highly qualified teaching staff.
In line with the national strategy for transforming Mauritius into a Knowledge Hub and a Centre of Higher Learning and for attracting Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs), procedures are being streamlined by the Ministry of Finance & Economic Development to enable the rapid processing of applications received from promoters.
In this respect, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources has prepared a National Policy Framework which will be used by the Board of Investment for attracting FDIs in the Tertiary Education Sector.
Before submitting their application for the setting up of tertiary institutions in Mauritius, promoters are therefore kindly requested to read and comply strictly to the following:
(i) The institution wishing to set up a branch in Mauritius shall either be a recognized accredited university/deemed university in its home country;
(ii) The branch campus shall be serviced inter alia by members of academic staff of the parent campus. Alternatively, all staff appointed shall be on the basis of the same criteria as those of the parent campus;
(iii) The institution shall ensure that the programme(s) run and the award(s) made at the branch campus are similar to those offered in its parent campus and have the same recognition status as those of the parent institution in the home country. If regulations in the home country do not permit this, the institution will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade & Cooperation to obtain recognition for courses taken and/or degrees awarded from the Mauritian campus;
(iv) The institution shall ensure that the same academic quality and standards as those of the parent campus are prevailing at the branch campus, and for that purpose set out appropriate mechanisms;
(v) once established, the branch campus shall comply with the regulatory framework for post-secondary education in Mauritius;
(vi) an overseas recognized accredited institution wishing to set up an institution in Mauritius as a separate entity from the parent institution, shall ensure that strong academic linkage exists between the institution to be set up and the parent institution, and also compliance with conditions (ii) – (v) above;
(vii) in the case of greenfield investment in higher education, whether by individuals or enterprises, local or overseas, the promoter will be responsible for obtaining international recognition of the degrees to be awarded on its Mauritius Campus. This could be achieved either by collaboration with a recognized institution which shall be the awarding body or by obtaining the necessary recognition of the qualification(s) in at least one country that provides students to attend the Mauritius campus. Moreover, such institutions will also comply with condition (v) above.
