The University of

Technology,
Mauritius

Sustainable Development Goals

2022/2023 Report

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Introduction
The ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’ is a plan of
action for people, prosperity and the planet. At the core of the agenda are the
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which seek to tackle the world’s most pressing
issues – eradicating poverty in all its forms, social inclusion, economic prosperity,
environmental sustainability and peace to all countries by 2030.

Education plays a key role in creating a world that is more sustainable by equipping
individuals and people with knowledge, values and skills to drive such change.
Universities around the world occupy a key position within society and they have long
been powerful drivers of local, national, regional and global economic development,
innovation and societal well-being.

The University of Technology, Mauritius, acknowledges the profound obligation it has to

play in sharing and creating knowledge on the challenges set out in Agenda 2030. As one
of the leading universities in Mauritius in sustainable development, we are tackling the
SDGs in four inter-related ways: through research, public engagement, learning and
students and operations.

This report is aimed at sharing the actions, opportunities and partnerships that the UTM
has been undertaking in the last four years, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 in a transparent
reporting manner. We hope it stimulates further actions, ideas and collaboration
opportunities with a wide range of local, national, regional and international audiences
across the public and private sector so that together we can tackle the SGGs by 2030.

“Universities, with their broad remit around the

creation and dissemination of knowledge and their
unique position within society, have a critical role to
play in the achievement of the SDGs.” SDSN
Australia/Pacific (2017)

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 End poverty in
all its forms
everywhere

Research Public Engagement

Poverty alleviation through

tourism Donations to shelters
Tourism is one of the basic Our student community works on a
economic pillars of Mauritius. The wide range of projects to tackle
study analyzed how tourism helped poverty. Students have organized
in alleviating poverty at Le Morne donations of food, clothing and other
Village through the creation of necessities to shelters such as SOS
employment, allowing direct sale of Children’s Village at Beau Bassin and
local products to tourists, increasing La Creche Coeur Immaculee de Marie
at Quatre Bornes.
the number of small businesses,
infrastructure development and
rasising the standard of living.

Learning and Students

Poverty and Social Exclusion

Our university has an undergraduate
programme in Applied Social
Sciences that teaches on poverty and
social exclusion. The module
explores ways to define, measure,
tackle poverty and social exclusion
using local case studies.

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 End hunger, achieve
food security and
improved nutrition
and promote
sustainable agriculture

Research

Securing the connection between IoT

and smart agriculture
Shifting from traditional agriculture to
smart agriculture requires the use of
devices such as sensors, GPS, internet
etc. which can be accessible to hackers.
In this regard, our research team
propose the use of the Amazon IoT
platform module to ensure a safe
transition and securing access to the
module using an authentication
mechanism.

Learning and Students

Food Science and Security

UTM offers a certificate programme in
Food Science and Biosecurity as these are
fundamentals tools for the development
of sustainable agriculture and
advancement of food production and
services. Knowledge gained in this
programme will help in meeting the needs
of an expanding population in the coming
years.

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 Ensure healthy
lives and promote
well-being for all
at all ages

Research Public Engagement

Burdens of family caregivers of Blood donation

schizophrenia Our university is committed to
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness promoting health and wellbeing. UTM
that not only affects patients but organized a blood donation activity in
families. The study analyzed the impact 2020 to help save more lives. Blood
of caregiving on the emotional, physical, donation also enhances the lives of the
social and financial situations of family blood givers as it lowers blood
caregivers in Mauritius to better plan pressure and cardiovascular risk
and develop health management factors.
programs of these family caregivers.

Learning and Students Operations

School of Health Sciences UTM Wellness Center

At UTM, we have a whole school Our vision at UTM is a healthy and
dedicated to good health and wellbeing. supportive campus environment
Our School of Health Sciences caters to where all students are able to thrive
the educational and practical needs of to their fullest. The UTM Wellness
the moment offering a wide discipline of Center is a campus-wide health
programmes from certificate to post- promotion initiative aimed at
doctoral plus a 5-year MBBS degree in supporting students and providing
affiliation with Anna Medical College. the systems and structures to
promote health and wellbeing.

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 Ensure inclusive and
equitable quality
education and
promote lifelong
learning
opportunities for all

Public Engagement

ADEA Triennale conference

UTM proudly participated in the
Mauritian educational landscape
exhibition during the Association for the
Development of Education in Africa
(ADEA) Triennale 2022 conference. The
themes covered during the conference
were key to make progress towards SDG
4 and promote learning in the African
region.

Learning and Students Operations

Sustainable, inclusive and equitable Blended learning

education During the COVID-19 pandemic and
We offer a wide range of course units ensuing lockdowns, we shifted our
including interdisciplinary units open to all educational facilities online to ensure
students that ensure sustainable, that students didn’t suffer the risk of
inclusive and equitable education. Our falling behind in their education
Masters programme in Educational without regular teaching. The UTM
Administration and Technology specially proudly provides blended learning
caters to the present needs of tutors in using a combination of face-to-face
the practical and theoretical issues of delivery of courses and learning and
education and technologies in online delivery and learning.
educational settings.

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 Achieve gender
equality and
empower all
women and
girls

Research Public Engagement

Digital Education Platform for women Workshop on Equal Opportunity

entrepreneurs Policy
Women entrepreneurs contribute At UTM, we believe in the fair
significantly to the SME sector of treatment and respect of all employees
Mauritius. This project was conducted to regardless of gender. In this respect, a
empower women through digital workshop on the importance of equal
education and how to use e-banking tools opportunities was organized for staff
as a service enabler and facilitator in their members to share information on
financial transactions by using a equal opportunities for all and
personalized and adaptive approach eliminate discrimination.
through an online platform.

Learning and Students Operations

Gender equality in study programmes Gender equality

Gender equality is embedded across most We value domestic work and unpaid
of our programmes with several modules care that often befall on our women
covering gender equality. For example, our staff. Thus, we provide parental leave,
undergraduate programme in Logistics and maternity/paternity leaves and more
Transport Management teaches on recently hybrid working which allow
gender, equality and diversity women to work from home since the
management to give equal opportunities COVID-19 lockdowns. We also have our
and remove barriers of discrimination equal opportunity policy which
towards women and other marginalized prevents discrimination based on
groups. gender and/or sex.

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 Ensure availability
and sustainable
management of
water and
sanitation for all

Public Engagement

Water fountains on campus

UTM supports water as a human right
with everyone entitled to have access
to sufficient, acceptable, safe,
physically accessible and affordable
water for personal and domestic use.
In light of this, several free water
fountains have been installed across
our campus for staff, students and
visitors to refill their bottles and cups.

Learning and Students Operations

Study programmes Sustainable drainage

As our Schools of Sustainable Our campus consists of numerous
Development and Health Sciences focus green spaces that allow the natural
on environment and health, most of our absorption of water. Our wide open
programmes include water and sanitation spaces are natural water systems that
from different perspectives. For example, minimize surface water runoff and
we have a module on water and flood risks in an environmentally
wastewater management in our friendly manner.
undergraduate programme in
Environmental and Public Health.

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 Ensure access to
affordable, reliable,
sustainable and
modern energy for
all

Public Engagement

Clean energy in Mauritius

Several undergraduate students of
the UTM participated in an article
writing competition with theme
‘Challenges faced by the clean energy
sector in Mauritius further to COVID-
19 impacts’ which was sponsored by
the Mauritius Renewable Energy
Agency.

Learning and Students

Study programmes
In our endeavor to become carbon
neutral and use green energy as a small
island nation, affordable and clean
energy are embedded in most of our
programmes in the School of Sustainable
Development and Tourism. Our
undergraduate programme in
Sustainable planning and management
for instance covers energy and the
environment.

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 Promote sustained,
inclusive and
sustainable economic
growth, full and
productive employment
and decent work for all

Research Public engagement

Adopting green jobs in Mauritius Community Learning and Engagement

The concept of green jobs is in its early UTM has put in place a mandatory
stages in Mauritius. As such, this research credit based component for all
was conducted to investigate the drivers undergraduate students called
and challenges faced by Mauritian Community Learning and Engagement.
organizations in implementing green jobs It is a field based initiative aimed at
with recommendations on how to expand promoting civic engagement in
the market. community organizations with off
campus experience. It is carried out in
collaboration with the NGO MACOSS.

Learning and Students Operations

Labour laws Training for unskilled jobs

Decent work and economic growth is We are working with several
embedded across a wide range of businesses, academia and local
disciplines in the programmes of our governance to train employees for
School of Business, Management and unskilled jobs. Examples include climate
Finance. Our MBA (General) for example change science, sustainable urban
has a module in business and labour laws planning, innovation and
while our undergraduate programme in pharmacology.
Management (Law) covers several aspects
of labour laws.

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 Build resilient
infrastructure, promote
inclusive and sustainable
industrialization and
foster innovation

Research Public Engagement

Mobile-Based Carbon Footprint UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022

Calculation coding competition
To decrease our carbon emissions and Our students participated in the
hence help mitigate the effects of UNESCO India Africa Hackathon 2022
climate change, it is critical to quantify coding competition, a platform for
these emissions. This innovative young innovators to find solutions to
research investigates the usability of a real world environmental, social and
proposed carbon footprint calculator technical problems. We are proud that
called Mau Carbon Footprint and two of our students came out as
provides recommendations on winners of the competition in their
improving this quality attribute of such respective categories, education and
tools. health.

Learning and Students Operations

School of Innovative Technologies MOU between UTM and Ceridian

and Engineering Mauritius Ltd.
One of Mauritius’ objective is to The UTM signed a signature of
develop a knowledge, innovation and Memorandum with Ceridian Mauritius
technology-based nation. Our School Ltd in 2022 for the Immersive Media
of Innovative Technologies and Lab, a high tech lab focused on
Engineering offers education and immersive experience and Artificial
training towards technological driven Intelligence. This lab will help the
development to meet the needs of the university carry research in technology
industry. and provide diverse opportunities for
collaborative development.

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 Reduce
inequality within
and among
countries

Research Public Engagement

Online learning during COVID-19 Human rights workshop

pandemic At the UTM, we believe in empowering
The global pandemic caused learning to and promoting the social, economic
shift from classroom to online teaching and political inclusion of all. In this
within short notice. This research work respect, our School of Business,
was conducted to analyse the impacts Management and Finance organized a
of online learning on social sciences workshop on Human Rights to sensitize
students to understand the realities and students and staff on the history and
difficulties students might face during issues regarding human rights in the
this transition. context of Mauritius.

Learning and Students Operations

Study programmes Equity policies

Inequalities are addressed in a wide We have several policies related to
range of our modules ranging from equity to make it clear that we take a
undergraduate social sciences, zero tolerance approach towards all
counselling, gerontology, logistics and sorts of discrimination, sexual
transport management programmes harassment, victimization and bullying
right though to MBA programmes. by any member of our community.

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 Make cities
and human
settlements
inclusive, safe,
resilient and
sustainable

Research
Citizen empowerment in smart cities
The government of Mauritius is currently
looking for investors for developing
smart cities across the island. Our
research team embarked on a project to
assess the behavioral intention of
citizens to use these technologies so that
they are empowered and their quality of
life is improved.

Learning and Students Operations

Sustainable Urban Planning Fluid campus boundaries

As tomorrow’s professionals in building At UTM, we are committed to the
safe, resilient and sustainable cities, UTM development of safe and sustainable
has an undergraduate programme in community areas. We maintain fluid
Sustainable Urban Planning. Students campus boundaries to encourage the
explore the multiple facets of sustainable use of green space by our local
planning, building inclusive cities and communities as a public amenity.
explore the challenges in creating
infrastructure that is resilient to climate
change.

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 Ensure
sustainable
consumption and
production
patterns

Research Public Engagement

Carbon footprints of hotels
Business solutions and intelligent
Tourism is one of the basic economic
decision making
pillars of Mauritius and contribute
Ecovadis, one of the world’s most
significantly to GHG emissions. This
trusted provider of business
research work identified the main
sustainability rating companies, held a
contributing areas responsible for
seminar at UTM to showcase how
GHG emissions for the hotel industry
sustainability intelligence influences
in Mauritius using data such as
every business decision from
water/energy consumption, land use
production to consumption.
etc. so as to find means to tackle these
issues.

Learning and Students Operations

Sustainable consumption and Digital transformation

production We have changed our operations from
Our students learn about sustainable paper to digital to decrease our use of
consumption and production through paper and subsequent amount of
a wide range of programmes. For paper waste. Information that was on
instance, our undergraduate paper is now being digitized and
programme in Procurement and managed through e-platforms
Supply Management emphasizes the including student assignments, theses,
need for sustainable public communication and teaching
procurement across all sectors. materials.

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 Take urgent
action to
combat climate
change and its
impacts

Research Public Engagement

Road to Net Zero Mauritius

In collaboration with the University of
Climate change science
Birmingham, UTM organized a workshop
We are proud that our university is a
‘Road to Net Zero Mauritius Driving
vital hub for conducting research on
Innovation and Sustainability through
climate change. We have published
ESG (Environmental, Social and
materials on climate change and
Governance) Disclosure and
transportation, climate change
Performance’. The workshop provided a
adaptation strategies, decreasing and
platform for thinking and debates on
tracking GHG emissions to name a few.
how to accelerate the transformation of
Mauritius to achieve a socially just net
zero future.

Learning and Students Operations

Study programmes Sustainable practices

We take climate change as a very Our university fully supports sustainable
important topic at UTM. Most of our practices to decrease our carbon
programmes include a module in emissions in all its forms. We encourage
climate change, its effects and how to staff and students to switch off all
deal with it. We also provide a Master’s electrical devices when not in use, use
degree in Climate Change, Health and hybrid and electric vehicles, go paperless
Disaster Management which explores and opt for low-carbon operational
the science of climate change and practices.
analyses challenges and solutions to
mitigate subsequent impacts.

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 Conserve and
sustainably use the
oceans, seas and
marine resources for
sustainable
development

Research Public Engagement

Coastal tourism and marine life Women in WOMESA

While Mauritius benefits immensely from UTM held a workshop on women in
the tourism sector, coastal tourism often leadership in the maritime sector as a
has adverse impacts on the coastal and celebration of the world maritime day
marine environment. This study 2021. WOMESA (Women in the Maritime
investigates how leisure operators and Sector in East and Southern Africa)
tourists affect the coastal environment of enables women to train with men and
Mauritius and proposes a framework to acquire high level competence in the
engage leisure operators in sustainable maritime industry.
practices.

Learning and Students

Study programmes
As Mauritius is an island nation, we fully
encourage our students to study marine
science. We currently have several post
graduate students carrying out research
work on coastal ecology, coastal tourism,
oil spill monitoring amongst others. We
also offer a Diploma in Fisheries Enabled
Services to train officials in the maritime
sector.

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 Protect, restore and
promote sustainable
use of terrestrial
ecosystems,
sustainably manage
forests, combat
desertification, and
halt and reverse land
degradation and halt
biodiversity loss

Learning and Students Operations

Study programmes Planting native species

Natural resources management and We highly encourage the planting of
conservation is embedded across most of native plants and trees across our
our programmes. For example, our campus to help our local wildlife and to
Masters in Climate Change, Health and raise awareness on our ecological
Disaster Management has a module on richness. Bois chandelle is a native tree
natural resource management, while our to Mauritius growing mainly on the
undergraduate programme in offshore islets. We have planted
Sustainable Environmental Planning and several of these plants across our
Management focuses specifically on campus to increase native tree cover,
sustainable environmental planning in push back deserts and reconnect our
the Mauritian context. campus community to the unique
biodiversity of Mauritius.

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 Promote peaceful and
inclusive societies for
sustainable
development, provide
access to justice for
all and build effective,
accountable and
inclusive institutions at
all levels

Research Public Engagement

Significance of competition law Independent students’ union

Antitrust laws are quite common in Our independent student union at UTM
developed countries but their is very active and engages students in
implementation is rare in developing various activities from sports, musical
countries. This research work assessed festivals, excursions to donations. The
the enforcement features of the student union helps students in a lot of
Mauritius Competition Act in relation to ways bringing new ideas and
international standards and its improvements to the campus
relationship with Competition Intensity. community.

Learning and Students Operations

Study programmes Anti-corruption policy

We are committed to promoting Our Anti-Corruption Policy, available
peaceful societies through our courses. through our website, takes a zero
Our Department of Business tolerance approach to corruption and
Management and Law in our School of bribery in all our operations. We also
Business Management and Finance ensure that recruitment of our staff is
offers a wide range of undergraduate conducted in a transparent and non-
and postgraduate programmes in Law discriminatory manner.
that include modules in human rights.

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 Strengthen the
means of
implementation and
revitalize the Global
Partnership for
Sustainable
Development

Research Public Engagement

ESD to face the post COVID-19 Public engagement partnerships

challenges We partner with several organizations to
Our researchers are currently carry out meaningful public engagement
investigating the role of UTM in with diverse audiences to share ideas,
promoting ESD (Education for research and inspiring informed
Sustainable Development) to face the discussions and debates. Examples
global post COVID-19 challenges to include partnerships with government
enhance sustainability consciousness, organizations such as the Land Drainage
attitude, behavior and knowledge Authority, Wastewater Management
among learners. Authority etc.

Learning and Students Operations

Learning partnerships University partnerships

At UTM, we are committed to We have civic partnerships with other
empowering our students with the universities across the world to share
knowledge and skills required to ideas and enhance the knowledge of our
address all of the SDGs through students. Examples include the
partnerships with public, private and Institution of Occupational Safety &
civil society organizations such as Health, UK, the Business Graduates
charity organizations where students Association, Anna Medical College etc.
can volunteer and external
organizations that benefit from student
intervention.

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Methodology
This report communicated the myriad of ways the University of Technology,
Mauritius (UTM) is addressing the UN SDGs. This is the first SDG reporting of the
UTM aimed at mapping our current practices in addressing the SDGs though four
main areas: research, public engagement, learning and students and operations.

Case studies and data

We selected case studies to illustrate our contributions to the SDGs through a
comprehensive analysis of UTM’s website, Facebook page, Google Scholar, grey
literature on Google search engine and staff advice. Only case studies which were
publicly available were used for transparency purposes. We have no conflict of
interest in the data presented. All images used in this report are licensed under
Creative Commons Zero (CCO Public Domain).

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Acknowledgements
We acknowledge the support, time and advice provided by academic and
professional staff for the production of this report. This project was funded and
steered by the Director General of the UTM, Dr Dinesh Hurreeram. Dr Vijaya
Ramasamy Coolen was the Principal Investigator of the project with Mrs Toshima
Makoondlall-Chadee and Dr Sanjeev Bokhoree as collaborators. Reshma Sunkur
designed and produced the first draft of the report.

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