The MCCI Business School held a graduation ceremony in Ebène on Thursday June 13, to celebrate the very first class of its “Innovation Imperative” program. Some thirty executives and managers from local companies graduated at the event, which was attended by the US Ambassador to Mauritius, H.E Mr Henry Jardine. “Innovation Imperative”, the first program launched by the MCCI Business School in February this year, was developed in partnership with the Stanford Center for Professional Development. Renowned speakers shared their experiences and innovative teaching methods. The ten-week program was developed in collaboration with the U.S. Embassy in Mauritius. The aim of the program was to enable participants to enhance their skills to stimulate innovation within their organizations.
The “Innovation Imperative” program welcomed executives and senior managers from leading Mauritian companies. These professionals benefited from lectures given by experts from the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD). Participants were able to deepen their knowledge of innovation and leadership, essential skills for adapting to market changes and fostering the growth of their organization. “This training marks a milestone in the development of an innovation ecosystem in Mauritius, enabling professionals to contribute to the country’s growth through cutting-edge solutions,” explains Toriden Chellapermal, CEO of the MCCI Business School.
“The MCCI Business School is extremely pleased and proud to have enabled Mauritian organizations to benefit for the first time from the expertise of Stanford and Silicon Valley. We are convinced that this first experience has been extremely enriching for all the participants, who have, moreover, developed innovative and very interesting projects for the benefit of their companies as well as on a national scale. We would like to thank the US Embassy in Mauritius for its support, as well as all the companies who understood and supported the MCCI Business School’s approach”, he added.
The U.S. Ambassador to Mauritius, H.E Mr Henry Jardine, who graced the graduation ceremony with his presence, mentioned that “MCCI Business School has been working with the U.S. Embassy on this project for two years. Attending the graduation of the first class of the “Innovation Imperative” executive program is extremely gratifying and inspires us for future collaborations. To the participants, you can all be immensely proud of your achievements.”
The “Innovative Imperative – Fostering Innovation in the Mauritius Ecosystem” program, the first of its kind in Mauritius, was an intensive 10-week training course with 32 participants from 19 different organizations, ranging from hospitality and telecommunications to information technology and financial services. At the end of the program, participants presented their final projects – the “Capstone Projects” – to a panel of judges. The panel was made up of eminent professors from the Stanford Center for Professional Development. The projects covered a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, consumer goods, hospitality and other industries. At the graduation ceremony, the jury congratulated the participants on their hard work and innovative spirit.
Jean Pierre Lim Kong, Chief Executive Officer of Innodis, was part of the first cohort to take part in the program, which he describes as “intense, rewarding and requiring a high level of personal commitment”. “The program combined e-learning, face-to-face interaction with a local trainer, live sessions with Stanford experts and a team project on digital innovation using design thinking principles. Participants explored technologies and concepts such as generative artificial intelligence, machine learning and additive manufacturing. The Stanford academics were able to make complex concepts simple, using concrete examples”, commented the director, who says he is now better prepared to meet the challenges of innovation and business transformation in the digital age.
