General Info
Introduction
With the opportune creation of the Faculty of Science in February 1989 of the University of Mauritius, Government had rightly foreseen our present need for graduates adaptable to a wide range of jobs and able to identify new areas of advance. The Faculty is now a major facility for the educational and research development of the country. As Government addresses the challenge of turning the country into a NIC, it has clearly stated its intentions to tap, optimise and build upon the rich potentials of the Faculty of Science to strengthen its national scientific and technological capabilities.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Faculty is three-pronged :
TEACHING - to provide specialist scientific training of international standard to a rapidly increasing number of students; to ensure that its graduates acquire knowledge, professional competence, a sense of community responsibility, and have the possibility to continue their professional and personal development beyond the confines of their chosen fields.
RESEARCH - to optimise the research potentials of the Faculty to solve problems, with provisions for fundamental research. SERVICE - to contribute to the development of the country's international responsibility and competitiveness; to enhance the Faculty's relationship with the professions; and to increase community awareness of issues through professional service and social commentary.
The academic staff of the Faculty are distributed in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Ocean Studies, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. The staff profile of the Faculty along with the main research areas and departmental links are given in the centre-page . Further details are available at the Dean's Office, Faculty of Science.
Research Facilities
General
PCs, Sun Workstations, e-mail, Internet, Databases (SYFED and Dialogue), Library, etc.
Biological Sciences
Laminar air-flow unit, Research microscopes with facilities for photomicrography. Scanning election Microscope, PCR, EPIC system, Automatic tissue processor, Rotary microtome and Blockmaster unit Cryostat rotary microtome UV/visible spectrophotometer, Growth Environmental Chamber, Image analysis system, Bioreactor (continuous cell culture), freeze dryer, Antoclaves, ultra low freezer (- 850C), Ice making machine, Cooling incubators, centrifuges, refrigerated micro- centrifuge, Orbrital Refrigerated and illuminated shaker, Environmental Monitoring station, Autoanalyser for nutrients, Fluorimeter, Echosounder, Submarine camera, Total Organic Carbon Analyser, Digital photogrammetric station, water (sea and river) current meter, conductivity temperature, Depth meter (CTD), Fibre glass boat-18ff long with outboard engine, Programmable sequential water Sampler, Biorad vertical protean XII electrophoresis cell with power pack.
Chemistry
FTIR spectrometer, UV-Visible spectrometer, Atomic Absorption spectrometer, Gas-Liquid Chromatograph, Microwave Digestor, C, H, N and S Analyser, NMR spectrometer.
Mathematics
Sun Workstation, various mathematical and utility softwares, PC Lab comprising Sun Workstation, PCs, Pentium, Mathematical Software include SPSS, Matlab, Mathematica, Fortran, C, Turbo Pascal.
Physics
Synthesized T-array Radiotelescope with operating frequency at 150 MHz, 30in diameter optical telescope, Argon Ion Laser, Holographic systems with vibration- isolated table, PCs, variety of modern oscilloscopes from basic to the more advanced models, variety of low-power He-Ne lasers, Light scattering spectrophotometer, UV-Vis-Near-Infrared Absorption spectrophotometer Evanescent wave fluorescence spectrophotometer, Fluorescence spectrophotometer, Ultrasonic System, and Sun Workstation. SSR Centre Tagarno Table, Monitor Defibrillators, Single Channel ECG Apparatus, Spirometers, Dosimeters, Phast system, PCRs, Gene Quant, Centrifuges, Flame Photometer.
RESEARCH & CONSULTANCY
Research in the Faculty of Science of the University of Mauritius exhibits an exciting blend of fundamental and applied areas.
Current development trends in the country call for an intensification in the demand for consultancy services offered by the University in general. The Faculty has been actively engaged in several consultancy projects for Government, local and international bodies such as UNESCO, UNDP, FAO, World Bank, Servansingh Jadav & Partners, Sir Alexander Gibbs & Partners and SIGMA in various fields such as Environmental Impact Assessment, Coastal Developments, Biotechnology, Curriculum Development, Water and Air Quality Monitoring.
Academic Links
Academic links have been developed with various internationally recognised overseas centres (see below) to support training, research and consultancy. Interesting developments are expected via continuing collaboration with these centres of excellence and others. Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine (London, UK) University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) University of Manchester (UK) Loughborough University (UK) University of North Wales (Bangor, UK) Raman Research Institute (Bangalore, India) Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bangalore, India) Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore, India) Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Hyderabad, India) International Mycological Institute (UK) University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong) Université de la Réunion (Fr) Université de Montpellier II (Fr) Université de Bordeaux I (Fr) INSERM Unité 120 (Paris, Fr) Hammersmith Hospital (UK) Pasteur Institute (Paris, Fr)
TEACHING
The science undergraduate programme has significantly evolved from the original Joint Honours Degree programme. As from the 1997/98 academic year, B.Sc. Single Honours degrees in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics and B.Sc. Combined Honours degrees in any of these subjects and additionally Environmental Science (as a minor subject) are offered on a newly developed credit course system. This system of study has been adopted to optimise present and future human, infrastructural and financial resources to cope with the University's policy of globalising, democratising, and widening access to tertiary education, to provide greater flexibility in fields of study and in degrees awarded, and to eventually broaden the educational horizon of graduates through the study of traditional social science modules like Management Studies and Economics via inter- faculty interactions. The award of a host of degrees pertaining to national development becomes easily envisageable within this framework. Furthermore, in a bold move to democratise the study of medicine in Mauritius, the Faculty has introduced in collaboration with the Universities of Manchester and Newcastle upon Tyne, a B.Sc. in Medical Science. An M.Sc. programme in Applied Mathematics and Modelling has also started in August 1997. Other courses are also run as and when required for the public and private sector. Collaboration with the Mauritius Institute of Education exists for the running of Bachelor of Education courses in science subjects to upgrade secondary school teachers.
Diploma Courses: Entry Requirements:
Passes at GCE O-Level or equivalent in Chemical Analysis & 5 subjects including Physics, Chemistry Instrumentation Techniques and Mathematics Medical Laboratory Technology English Language and 3 Science subjects Sanitary Science 5 subjects including Physics, Mathematics and English Language.
Undergraduate Courses:
Entry Requirements: 5 G.C.E. O Level Passes including English and Mathematics. At least 2 G.C.E. A Level Passes. B.Sc.(Hons) Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. B.Sc. (Hons) Biology with Chemistry or Mathematics or Physics or Environmental Science. B.Sc. (Hons) Chemistry with Biology or Mathematics or Physics or Environmental Science. B.Sc (Hons) Mathematics with Biology or Chemistry or Physics or Environmental Science. B.Sc (Hons) Physics with Biology or Chemistry or Mathematics or Environmental Science. B.Sc (Hons) Medical Science Basic matriculation requirements are at least five GCE O level passes including Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, and English Language plus, GCE A level passes in three subjects, which should include Chemistry and normally Biology. The minimum grades required at A level are A, A, B. Postgraduate Courses.
The Faculty offers a part-time taught postgraduate M.Sc. course in Applied Mathematics and Modelling. A number of students and staff are also engaged in full-time/part-time postgraduate research work leading to MPhil/PhD degrees. Prospective students must hold a good relevant first degree or an equivalent qualification. Postdoctoral Training A Post-Doctoral Fellowship programme is available under the Tertiary Education Commission for PhD holders to pursue advanced research.
FUTURE DEVELOPMENT
To help to cater for the growing demand for specialist scientists in the industrial and other developmental sectors, the Faculty of Science plans to introduce an MSc programme in several science subjects; an MSc in Mathematical Modelling has been launched in August 1997. envisages to run honours degree courses in Paramedical Sciences, including Nursing. continuously incorporates latest scientific developments in its curriculum, plans to introduce distance learning courses, will upgrade existing laboratories and set up new laboratories, will continue to provide in-service training courses for the public and private sector, will continue to pursue a judicious staff development and recruitment programme, will give a computational bias to our courses not only through the offer of computer-based modules but also through an intensive use of computer-aided learning techniques, is currently upgrading its staff, plans to promote the industrial application of know-how and the judicious transfer of technology crucial to the economic expansion of the country, and plans to encourage part-time practical training of students in selected firms in Mauritius UNIVERSITY OF MAURITIUS Faculty of Science University of Mauritius Réduit Mauritius Tel.: (230) 454 1041; (230) 464 9958 Fax : (230) 465 6928
