JOURNAL INFORMATION
Seychelles Research Journal is published twice a year, in February and August. The aim of this online, open access journal is to demonstrate the vibrancy of research in and about Seychelles. Boundaries are drawn loosely to include comparable issues elsewhere in the western Indian Ocean and in small island states further afield.
Information on how to submit proposed articles and on the refereeing process is explained elsewhere in the website. New proposals are always encouraged.
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Editor: Emeritus Professor Dennis Hardy
Deputy Editor/Web Design: Jane Woolfenden
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Marketing Consultant: Guy Morel
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International Advisers:
- Dr Ashton Berry, Consultant, Australia
- Dr Pascal Nadal, Diocesan Service of Catholic Education, Mauritius
- Dr Jivanta Schöttli, Institute of South Asian Studies, Singapore
- Professor Erika Techera, University of Western Australia
- Dr Kris Valaydon, Founding Editor, Island Studies
- Professor Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Hong Kong Baptist University
- Associate Professor Peter Rudge, University of Staffordshire, UK
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Sponsors:
Publication would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
- The East Indies Co.
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This is a publication of the University of Seychelles http://www.unisey.ac.sc
The views and opinions represented in this publication are not necessarily those of the institutions to which the authors are affiliated and, additionally, should not be attributed to the publisher.
©2021 – Seychelles Research Journal, The University of Seychelles
Cover photograph © Jane Woolfenden
ISSN 1659-7435
CONTENTS
♦ EDITORIAL
Read the editorial here: Editorial-SRJ-3-(2)
♦ ARTICLES
The Development of the Tertiary Education Regulatory Framework ♦ Page 4 ♦
Jean-Michel Domingue
An account of the development of tertiary education and its legislative framework in Seychelles.
Read the full article here:The_Development_of_the_Tertiary_Education_Rgulatory_Framework-Jean-Michel_Domingue-SRJ-3-(2)
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The Impact of Covid-19 on the Tertiary Education System in Seychelles ♦ Page 22 ♦
Emma Padayachy
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc worldwide on the fabric of education and training systems and has put immense pressure on governments to ensure that learning, in whatever form, continues. This has exposed significant shortcomings of these systems, but at the same time has provided many opportunities to rethink education systems. Using evidence from the Tertiary Education Commission’s impact study and forum conducted in Seychelles, as well as other existing regional and international studies, this paper attempts a comparability analysis as to how the effects of COVID-19 on tertiary education systems presented both challenges and opportunities. The paper investigates preparations of institutions at tertiary level for closure (lock down), the impact on the enrolment and attrition rate of learners, the challenges posed to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, institutional information and communication implications, the new health and safety requirements, and inequalities in learning opportunities.
Read the full article here: The_Impact_of_COVID-19_on_the_Tertiary_Education_System_in_Seychelles-Emma_Padayachy-SRJ-3-(2)
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All at Sea: Small island universities in the Indian Ocean ♦ Page 36 ♦
Dennis Hardy
During the present century there has been a dramatic rise in the number of higher education students across the world. To illustrate the implications, this paper focuses on just one region, the Indian Ocean, and, in particular, a cluster of six small island states. For each of these entities, there is a need to diversify their respective economies, and higher education can help to achieve this. Yet no single university is currently recognized for its excellence and the question arises of whether some form of collaboration in the region would be beneficial. Leaving things as they are will, most probably, just result in more of the same. In a different way, an attempt to create a unified structure in the form of, say, the University of the Indian Ocean, is seen as impractical. But there are other options for collaboration that can be explored, and these are indicated in the concluding part of this paper.
Read the full article here: All_at_Sea-Small_Island_Universities_in_the_Indian_Ocean-Dennis_Hardy-SRJ-3-(2)
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Balancing Crime and Punishment in a Constitutional Government: Perspectives from Seychelles ♦ Page 54 ♦
Godknows Mudimu
For a very long time, the concept of justice and mercy has underpinned several sentencing models. However, some have argued that the two must be divorced from each other and the concept of mercy has no place in sentencing. This article considers this tension in the principles of sentencing as recently applied in R v ML & Ors (CR 38/2019) [2020] SCSC 256 (16 April 2020) viewed against mandatory sentences. The paper situates the role of a judicial officer during sentencing, arguing that discretion by judges remains the ultimate tool that uniquely identifies and separates the judiciary from other branches of government.
Read the full article here: Balancing_Crime_and_Punishment_in_a_Constitutional_Government-Perspectives_from_Seychelles-Godknows_Mudimu-SRJ-3-(2)
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Covid-19 and Seychelles’ Blue Economy ♦ Page 68 ♦
Angelique Pouponneau
Island nations, like Seychelles, have fragile economies that are severely affected by external shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences are examples of such shocks. The paper details the impacts of COVID-19 on the sectors of the Seychelles Blue Economy and the strategies and actions that the government of Seychelles have employed to salvage the various sectors. However, the lack of economic diversification and social-resilience plans has left the Seychelles’ people and economy exposed. The Blue Economy has re-emerged as the economic model that will provide the pathway for a resilient economy and population to the most pressing global challenges, such as economic slumps, climate action and pandemics.
Read the full article here: Covid-19_and_Seychelles’_Blue_ Economy-Angelique_Pouponneau-SRJ-3-(2)
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As Real as it Gets: Authenticity and tourism in Seychelles ♦ Page 88 ♦
Herve Atayi
Authenticity plays a key role in tourism studies as it helps in the understanding of tourist motivation and experience. Most studies on the topic focus on the demand side of authenticity, meaning that the emphasis is on tourists searching for authentic experiences and less attention is paid to the provider of the experience. It is always assumed that the visitor is the one who defines and dictates what is authentic. This study sets out to examine the concept of authenticity in tourism from another perspective – that of the local people in Seychelles.
Read the full article here: As_Real_as_it_Gets-Authenticity_and_Tourism_in_Seychelles-Herve_Atayi-SRJ-3-(2)
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Control Energy via Luxury Hotels: An investigation of the electricity consumption in the luxury hotels in order to evaluate their potential to provide balancing energy, using Seychelles as an example ♦ Page 107 ♦
Benno Rothstein and Drenushe Nuhiu
Electricity generation from renewable energies often fluctuates due to weather and other natural effects. The instrument of control energy (balancing energy) can compensate for these fluctuations and thus guarantee the system and ensure security of the electricity grid. Luxury hotels on tourist islands could react to such fluctuations in electricity generation and use them to provide balancing energy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the electricity consumption of luxury hotels and to assess their potential as a source for providing control energy.
Read the full article here: Control_Energy_Via_Luxury_Hotels-B_Rothstein_and_D_ Nuhiu-SRJ-3-(2)
Seychelles Research Journal 