Finding Harmony in Diversity—The Mauritian Public Higher Education Sector

The public higher education institutions of Mauritius are expected to contribute significantly to the higher education hub vision of the government. However, isomorphic behaviour in duplicating programmes, high dependency on the state for funding, over-reliance on the local student base, continued inability to bridge the skills gap, and a lack of ambition to propose new programmes of study fitting the regional needs are some of the reasons why a reform of the sector is essential. In recent years, harmonising public higher education in Mauritius has been a topic of interest to local policymakers who wished for a more cohesive and integrated sector. This chapter focuses on the local understanding of the term “harmonisation” and its departure from the Bologna process, the rationale for harmonisation, the challenges and efforts towards harmonisation, and preliminary proposals to ensure a more collaborative and effective public higher education system in Mauritius. The chapter presents a situational assessment extracted from the author’s thesis on the Mauritian public higher education system (Bhujun, 2022); it employed a qualitative research approach, using document analysis and stakeholder interviews to gather primary data. The chapter further draws on the literature on higher education policy, governance, and collaboration to provide a theoretical framework for understanding the challenges and potential solutions for harmonising the higher education system in Mauritius. The literature emphasises the importance of effective governance structures, collaboration among institutions, and the benefits of a coordinated and cohesive higher education system. The analysis reveals that the higher education system in Mauritius is characterised by fragmentation, with various institutions operating in isolation. This fragmentation is compounded by a need for coordination and communication among the institutions, resulting in duplication of efforts, resource wastage, and inconsistent quality of education. The chapter identifies several challenges in harmonising the higher education system, including institutional resistance to change, bureaucratic red tape, and challenges to a performance funding mechanism. However, it also highlights potential solutions such as creating a unifying national framework for offering higher education and adopting a culture of collaboration among institutions. Harmonising the public higher education system in a small island state like Mauritius is essential to create a more effective, efficient, and integrated system. The chapter showcases some potential solutions to achieve this goal. The chapter contributes to understanding public higher education governance and cooperation in Mauritius and provides a foundational cornerstone for discussions and insights for policymakers, educators, and other stakeholders involved in the higher education sector.