The University of Mauritius (UoM) joined hands today with the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) and the Land Drainage Authority (LDA), both operating under the aegis of the Ministry of National Infrastructure and Community Development, through the signature of two Memoranda of Understanding, this afternoon, in Port Louis, with a view to develop and foster collaboration in areas of mutual interest, in particular capacity building.
These collaborative agreements are in line with the strategic thrust of the UoM for the development of the quadruple helix model regrouping industry, academia, public sector, and the community within a partnership model for impact where the University can leverage expertise from other institutions and extend its collaborative research and innovation activities.
The signatories were the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) at the UoM, Dr Mohammad Issack Santally; the Executive Director of the CIDB, Mr Ram Bahadoor; and the Director of the LDA, Mr Mahen Nuvin Khedah. The Minister of National Infrastructure and Community Development, Mr Mahendranuth Sharma Hurreeram, and other personalities, were present at the signing ceremony.
In his address, Mr Hurreeram welcomed this new strategic partnership as he recalled that both CIDB and LDA provided valuable guidance to his Ministry on the way to tackle important issues and in some cases, elaborate lifesaving policy decisions. He explained that while the CIDB worked, among others, towards the development and improvement of the construction industry through guidance and regulations, the LDA’s main functions was to ensure the safety of the population and the protection of resources from the effects of climate change.
According to the Minister, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would bolster the CIDB through capacity building programmes proposed by the UoM so that the Board can face the future challenges of the industry. He stressed that there was a constant need to explore innovative methods, tools and technics because of the dynamism in the construction sector. “The MoU between the CIDB and the UoM will definitely provide a much-needed platform for collaboration and research for our professionals in the construction industry,” he said.
As for the MoU between the UoM and the LDA, the Minister was of the view that it would support the Authority in building the appropriate infrastructure to improve resilience to the impact of climate change by setting up training and capacity building in the way to combat the effects of climate change.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of Mauritius.
