A country's social-human development can also be measured in terms of its educational system aside elements such as health among so many others. The Seychelles University would ideally set the foundation not only in human development but more specifically on how knowledge is created in society in which Seychelles is incredibly and regrettably lagging far behind. This is the key to innovativeness and creativity. It is not because there are no smart and capable minds but because of the bad political governance which infiltrates in every aspect of life and it is this kind of behavior which will continue to question the future of Seychelles despite the big donations and questionable gifts from other states and agencies. Had we have great and good leaders today, we would have had more than just one University in the Seychelles instead of four NYS camps which is now fading to the ground, burying with it millions and millions of rupees aside the human right violations.
Seychelles already had great and excellent educational system in the past before the communist ideology incarnated and swept deeply in the minds of the so called leaders. All was needed was a reform and some innovation in terms of opportunity and equity for the whole people of Seychelles. Now, more than three decades later the people of Seychelles are collectively contributing rupees to set up a University and waiting for another big donation to transform this idea into a reality. This is hardly progress and should we measure this as innovativeness or visionary? However, everyone supports the cause irrespective of the past because it is a path in the right direction, but is it really?
Following the recent developments the idea of the Seychelles University becomes of greater and increasing question. It is not clear what are the rules and regulations set for such as high standard educational system since in one article in the Seychelles Nation it was pointed out that entry to the University may not require formal education. Many other questions simply hang loose such the lecturers capability, who will they be and how are we going to sustain such an education system. It is easy to start new things but the challenge and question is how to sustain it effectively. Is it just another glimpse of opportunity for those involved to temporary glory as they love and glorify for media and public attention?
Perhaps the revealing reality is best put and transformed into another question as follows. How can a responsible country start a University without a legitimate system in place? There are no buildings yet, only plans on paper and students are expected to start as of next year! Are we going to sail the ship while building it and what are the impacts on the students? What kind of knowledge society are we going to bring up? We have seen too many failures. Can we afford to see another one in the next few years? Remember failure hardly manifest itself in real time, but down the track. The economic and social reality in the Seychelles is the example of the real truth; however by then the creators have gone rich and have satisfied their destiny. However, one should realize that we do not even have a sail or a boat and neither an engine just the questionable will. This is in sharp contrast to what good leadership is all about and this is underlined as follows. It is not for comparison to a superpower but for challenging us to rethink in small but right way.
President Obama recently commented on the 40th anniversary of the historic achievement of the first man on the moon. “I remember waving American flags and my grandfather telling me that the Apollo mission was an example of how Americans can do anything they put their minds to," In contrast, Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong himself said “the mission was the climax of a "staggeringly complex" endeavor that "required the very best in creativity, determination and perseverance that could be assembled in the American workplace." "Those successes were very impressive 40 years ago, but they were not miraculous," Armstrong said. "They were the result of the imagination and inventive minds of the people in the Apollo project since its inception eight years earlier."
The Seychelles University strategy is apparently not new and not really surprising. The conclusion derived is that the idea of the Seychelles University is based on a late vision, but never too late and now it emerges clearly to have been founded on a failed economy principle to cope with new students who will soon question and will desire to go overseas to learn and exchange experience with the greater world and come back and share it if the conditions would be right. After all it is not only about knowledge creation but also knowledge retention. We all know about the massive brain drain problems in the Seychelles and the authorities are still wondering why, yet they already know the answer.
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