MIE Student Receives SIMMIES 2026 Postgraduate Outstanding Academic Award
The MIE is delighted to congratulate Cindy Virahsawmy, a student on the Master of Arts in Education (Leadership and Management) programme offered in partnership with St Mary’s University, Twickenham, on receiving the SIMMIES 2026 Postgraduate Outstanding Academic Award.
This award celebrates academic excellence, recognising students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement throughout their studies. Cindy’s award reflects her dedication, resilience and commitment to educational research and professional practice.
A former B.Ed. and PGDip Ed (Leadership and Management) student, Cindy is currently a Holistic Education Programme (HEP) teacher at Emmanuel Anquetil Government School, a Zone d’Éducation Prioritaire (ZEP) primary school. Passionate about providing meaningful, inclusive and engaging learning experiences for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, she is committed to fostering learning through creative and cross-disciplinary approaches.
As part of her MA Ed (LM) research, Cindy is investigating how cross-disciplinary curriculum planning can enhance the learning engagement of Grade 5 pupils in a ZEP primary school. Her study explores how collaboration between mainstream and holistic education teachers can enrich pupils’ educational experiences through the integration of Visual Arts, Music, Drama, Physical Education, Health Education and Values Education within the mainstream curriculum.
Reflecting on receiving the award, Cindy shared:
“I am truly honoured and humbled to receive the SIMMIES 2026 Postgraduate Outstanding Academic Award. This recognition means a great deal to me, and I sincerely appreciate the support and encouragement I have received throughout my journey.”
Cindy describes her postgraduate journey as both rewarding and challenging. Although she initially lacked confidence in academic English, she gradually developed her skills through perseverance, consistent practice and the principles of “Research, Read and Reflect” promoted throughout the programme. Cindy also credits the encouragement and guidance of her tutors at both the MIE and St Mary’s University for helping her develop as a researcher and educational practitioner.
For Cindy, this award represents more than personal success. It reflects the value of supportive learning environments, academic mentorship and the transformative potential of postgraduate education. She hopes her experience will encourage other teachers to pursue further studies with confidence, determination and resilience.
Cindy’s achievement is a source of great pride for the MIE community. It also highlights the opportunities created through the partnership between the MIE and St Mary’s University, which enables education professionals in Mauritius to engage in internationally recognised postgraduate study while undertaking research that contributes directly to educational improvement in the local context.
Here’s a link where Karen Fox, our colleague from St Mary’s University is accepting the award on behalf of Cindy: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ZNqOpeWIVew
Once again, the MIE warmly congratulates Cindy on this outstanding accomplishment and wishes her every success as she continues her academic and professional journey.