African Leadership College Campus Launch in Beau Plan
The inaugural campus of the African Leadership College is the first addition to the Beau Plan Smart City project by Novaterra. It was officially launched on the 17 th of September by the Prime Minister of Mauritius, Hon. Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, Nicolas Maigrot of Terra, Nicolas Eynaud of Novaterra and Fred Swaniker, Founder of the African Leadership College.
Nicolas Maigrot explained that this inauguration is inscribed in Novaterra’s
strategy, the real estate arm of Terra group. Its ambition is to create a
value-added Education hub in Beau Plan Smart City, creating a strong bridge between Mauritius and the rest of the African continent, through the
development of economic, cultural and social activities.
The official ceremony allowed students to showcase their creativity and
highlight their ALC journey. Ofeibea Sakyi-Addo (Ghana) and Madani Napaul
(Mauritius), students in Social Science and Computing, acted as masters of
ceremony. Both students praised the cultural diversity and the philosophy of inclusion of ALC.
The official ceremony was followed by a tour at the new Engineering Lab where ALC students are exploring AI based solutions for the African context. Two areas of research and development were presented by students and faculty. The first was affordable robots. A prototype low cost 3D printed wheeled robot capable of Machine Vision detection was demonstrated, whose potential applications range from providing affordable automation for small scale farmers to aiding search and rescue operations in remote areas. The second demonstration explored the impact that intelligent algorithms can have on our everyday lives when coupled with smart home devices.
The tour ended with a visit of the four residential blocks, Aksum, Kongo, Songhai and Mapungubwe , each named after a glorious African empire as an homage to African roots and values celebrated by the ALC.
The enrollment for the September 2019 intake at the African Leadership College starts in November 2018, with a first residential Leadership Bootcamp in December. The campus is expected to expand with Novaterra moving the phases 2 and 3 of the Beau Plan Smart City, adding infrastructure to and around the campus.
Emeric Vigier de Latour
Communications Manager
