The University of Mauritius (UoM), in partnership with the Network of Excellence on Land Governance in Africa (NELGA) Southern Africa hosted a three-day Expert Group Meeting (EGM) under the theme ‘Land Governance and Land-Related Training Programmes in NELGA-Southern Africa: Scope and Validation’.

The meeting aimed to validate findings from a scoping report, refine curriculum frameworks from the previous meeting, and strengthen collaboration among universities, Governments, and industry stakeholders in the field of land governance and sustainable development.

The opening ceremony, held at the Labourdonnais Waterfront Hotel in Caudan, was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of the UoM, Prof S K. Sobhee, the NELGA Board Chair, Ms Elina David-Teodol, the NELGA Local Coordinator at UoM, Dr Yashwaree Baguant-Moonshiram, and other personalities.

In his address, Professor Sobhee highlighted the critical role of land governance in shaping the region’s future and outlined the UoM’s contributions to the land-use planning sector, which began in 1998 with the introduction of programmes in Town and Country Planning. 

Ms David-Teodol underlined NELGA’s efforts in developing a standardised curriculum for land governance, intended for use by institutions across Africa that will equip students with the necessary skills to address the complex land issues and challenges of the 21st century. 

Dr Baguant-Moonshiram, Senior lecturer at the UoM, spoke about the importance of NELGA for Mauritius and advanced that this meeting provided an excellent opportunity to raise awareness among these stakeholders, particularly in the areas of land development and sustainable development.

Monday, 02 December 2024