February 22 2012 -- President James Michel has hailed the signature of an agreement between the University of Seychelles and the University of London that will start the process for giving the University of Seychelles the status of a 'Recognised Centre' of the University of London. The University of London selects partners who are practicing excellence in education and works towards establishing centres for its programmes, one of which will be the University of Seychelles.

The formal agreement was signed in London between the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Seychelles, Dr Rolph Payet and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of London, Professor Geoffrey Crossick in the presence of the President Michel, who is the Chancellor of the University of Seychelles.

The President noted that the offer for the University of Seychelles to become a Recognised Centre of the University of London is evidence of the confidence in the partnership between the two universities as well of the high level of performance of UniSey and the hard work of the faculty and staff.

"I have always believed in education because education is the future, our youth are the future.  Since our inception, we have worked hard to provide an environment that will help young people acquire skills and knowledge, allowing them to move forward in a knowledge based society. The University of London is an institution which has been given phenomenal support over the years and we are delighted to be associated with it. I hope this relationship will continue to shine in the centre of the Indian Ocean - together we can provide Seychellois people with access to an education of the highest quality," said the President.

During his visit to the University of London International Programmes, the President also held talks with the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Geoffrey Crossick, and other university officials on the possibilities for introducing new degree programmes in Seychelles.
Professor Crossick said that the University of London is very pleased to be supporting the University of Seychelles, which 'aspires to become an educational hub in the region.'

"Our relationship with the University of Seychelles follows a long tradition of establishing Commonwealth Universities, such as University College of Ibadan in Nigeria and the University of Nairobi, as well as University of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore. Not only has the University of London been a key player within the Commonwealth, but also at home in the United Kingdom with Universities such as Exeter and Nottingham, both of whom began by teaching our awards," said Professor Geoffrey Crossick.

During the visit to the University of London, the President met with Seychellois students who are currently studying in London, as well as the staff of the Seychelles Tourist Office in London.
The President also witnessed the official handing over ceremony of 'Darwin' the giant tortoise to the Cotswold Wildlife Trust. Minister Joel Morgan presented a certificate as well as miniature statue of the tortoise, while the real-life animal has been transferred to his new home, as he is being loaned for a period of 30 years to the British nature reserve in the Cotswold area.

Editor's Note

-    The process to become a Recognised Centre may take more than one year to achieve and will require further improvements and upgrading to the quality structure and operations of the University of Seychelles. This is in line with the vision of the President of Seychelles to develop a world-class and quality University of Seychelles.

-         On the 17th September 2009, University of Seychelles started running two BSc programmes (BSc Business Administration and BSc Computer Information Systems) with the University of London. University of London provides the course text, set the exams and marks the exams in accordance to their standards. UniSey taught the courses and managed the student admissions, although the final decision of admissions remained with the University of London. Sir Prof Graeme Davies, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University of London also accepted to be a member of the Board of Governors of the University of Seychelles.

-         In June 2010, UniSey applied for Diploma Teaching Status for Computing and information systems and Creative Computing. A series of inspections was undertaken and after improvements in the services and infrastructure of UniSey, this status was granted on the 1st November 2011 by the Board of the University of London.

-         In September 2010, UniSey expanded its number of courses with the University of London International Programmes to include LLB Law, BSc Economics & Finance, BSc Banking and Finance, BSc Accounting and Finance and BSc Environment and Geography. Staff of the University of Seychelles participated in training offered by the University of London external programme.
-         In August 2011, UniSey was commended by the University of London for achieving the highest level of passes for the LLB Law and BSc Business Administration, among its 200 independent institutions around the world in 45 countries.

-         In September 2011, the number of courses was further expanded to include BA English.

-         The University of London was established in 1836 and is one of the oldest, largest and most diverse universities in the UK. Its founding principle is to provide education for all, irrespective of race, creed or political belief.

-         In 1858, the University of London was granted its fourth Charter, which paved the way for the establishment of the University of London External System, known as the University of London International Programmes with effect from 1 August 2010. This makes the University of London International Programmes the world's oldest provider of degrees through distance and flexible learning.

-         The University of London International Programmes is a unique global network of more than 50,000 students in over 190 countries, on 100+ study programmes.

-         Famous former students and alumni include seven Nobel Prize Winners: Sir Frederick Gowland Hopkins, Professor Ronald Coase, Wole Soyinka, Derek Walcott, former President Nelson Mandela, Charles Kao and Dr Rolph Payet.

-         Explore the range of study programmes available to students of the International Programmes: http://www.londoninternational.ac.uk/prospectivestudents/.