The University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM) in collaboration with the Association of African Universities (AAU) is organizing a unique Capacity Building Workshop on ‘Safety and Security in African Universities’ regrouping a diverse group of participants including 43 foreign delegates from 9 African countries, 7 Vice-Chancellors, Directors and Registrars, Campus Security and Safety Officers, and representatives.

Professor Vinaye Armoogum from the School of Innovative Technologies and Engineering (SITE) at UTM and Ms. Edith Laari Membership Officer of AAU have been instrumental in making this workshop exceptional. The opening ceremony for the three-day workshop dedicated to strengthening security infrastructure and protocols across African universities was held on Tuesday 18th March 2025, at Pearle Beach Hotel, Flic en Flac and the workshop will end on Thursday 20th March 2025.

Dr the Honourable Kaviraj Sharma Sukon, Minister of Tertiary Education, Science and Research graced the workshop with his presence. Also present among the distinguished speakers were Dr Dinesh Kumar Hurreeram, Director General of University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM) and Prof Olusola Oyewole, Secretary General, Association of African Universities.

The Honourable Minister, Dr Sukon provided a historical overview of Mauritius, tracing its journey from independence to its current state as a peaceful community. He concluded by calling upon the participants to work together in establishing secure university systems. Dr Dinesh Kumar Hurreeram emphasized the critical importance of cybersecurity. He also highlighted the government’s commitment to internationalization, specifically its collaborative efforts to attract more students from African regions.