Curtin University: tropical edition

Mauritius is known for many things; education generally not among them. Yet the Indian Ocean island paradise is fast becoming a knowledge hub. With the opening of a Curtin University campus in Moka, south-east of the capital Port Louis, this reputation is being consolidated. Opened by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, The Hon Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, yesterday, the Mauritius campus follows Curtin's expansion to Malaysia, Singapore and Dubai. It represents a progression from the West Australian university's 14-year collaboration with Mauritius' Charles Telfair Institute (CTI), which has delivered Curtin programs to over 2,300 students there. "We are very pleased to be located in a country with ambitions to become an education hub for the African and Indian Ocean region...," Curtin Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry said. CTI Executive Director Jeremy Charoux noted Mauritius' growing education status: the CTI's international enrolments have doubled since 2014. "Our institute has gained an excellent reputation not only in Mauritius but increasingly in the broader region. To achieve our long-term ambition of becoming a significant regional player, we believe this will be accelerated by even further integrating our brand and resources with Curtin – a leading global university," he said. The Australian High Commissioner to Mauritius, Jenny Dee, backed the initiative: "This is a milestone in Australia’s relations with Mauritius and demonstrates the commitment of Australian education institutions to support the development of Mauritius as a regional education hub." Curtin is just the second Australian university in Africa; the first being Monash South Africa. It is also the second foreign university in Mauritius, after Britain's Middlesex University.