Welsh university to train nurses on island of Mauritius
A South Wales university is set to open a nurse training programme in an African country later this year, as part of a new international agreement.
Swansea University has entered a partnership with Unicity International Education Hub (UIEH) to provide a one-year BSc Nursing top-up programme in the Republic of Mauritius in East Africa.
“This collaboration aims to meet local and regional demand for healthcare professionals”
Dhanjay Jhurry
The course, designed for those who already have a diploma-level qualification, and who are working as registered nurses, will teach modules on health promotion, public health, evidence-based practice, nursing research and clinical leadership.
Based on the UIEH campus in Pierrefonds, on the country’s main island in the Indian Ocean, the course will include in-person sessions as well as online courses led by staff at Swansea.
Professor Keith Lloyd, pro-vice chancellor and executive dean of Swansea’s Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Science, said the partnership was a way to help “upskill” the nurses of Mauritius.
“We are delighted to embark on this partnership with UIEH, sharing our academic excellence in nursing,” he said.
“With more than 30 years’ experience in training nurses and healthcare professionals for the NHS, students on the top-up programme can be assured that they will leave their studies equipped to meet the regional demand for well-qualified, competent, and confident nurses.”
UIEH managing director Dhanjay Jhurry added: “Our partnership underscores Uniciti International Education Hub’s commitment to academic excellence.
“This collaboration aims to meet local and regional demand for healthcare professionals, while offering diploma-holding nurses an opportunity to pursue a bachelor’s degree.”
The first students on the nursing top-up course will begin in September 2024 and, on completion, will receive their degree from Swansea University.
It is accredited by the Mauritius Nursing Council (MNC), the country’s nursing and midwifery regulator, though the course does not qualify graduates for registration with the former.
The Mauritius university said the course will also be used to promote the idea of continuing professional and personal development in nurses, as well as prepare them for a “changing” health and social care system and create “innovate” clinical practitioners.
UIEH’s collaboration with Swansea University is the latest in a series of international education agreements the Mauritius-based institution has entered into, with courses on its campus already being delivered in partnership with Middlesex University and others universities in France.
