Partnership with St Mary’s University, Twickenham, UK
The MIE is pleased to have established a partnership with St Mary’s University, UK, since 2023.
St Mary’s University is an inclusive institution that favours students’ wellbeing and success and has a long experience in providing high quality professional development programmes in education. It ranks in the Top 10 for Teaching Quality in the UK (The Times Good University Guide, 2025) and is 2nd for Academic Support in London (National Student Survey, 2025).
This transnational collaboration has been set up based on the two institutions’ shared commitment to (i) enhance professional learning opportunities for education professionals, (ii) develop and sustain a joint staff and student community that share practices and expertise, and (iii) engage in collaborative research.
The main areas of collaboration are:
- MA Education programme
MIE students are given advanced standing to directly join Year 2 of SMU’s MA Ed programme. The course is offered annually in September on a part-time, online, and distance mode of study. Students need to have earned 90 (CATS) credits at Level 9 (Level 7 in the UK), equivalent to 45 (NCVTS) credits, from the MIE within the last five years to be eligible for the MA Ed programme.
The MA Ed programme is offered via five routes, as follows:
- MA Ed
- MA Ed: Leadership and Management
- MA Ed: Learning and Teaching in Higher Education
- MA Ed: Mentoring, Coaching and Supervision
- MA Ed: Quality Assurance.
Students will need to undertake two modules over one academic year with SMU:
- Research Design
- Academic Paper and Conference Presentation
For more information on the programme, please visit SMU’s website:
https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/education/mauritius-institute-of-education-partnership.aspx
You may also contact the MIE’s Higher Studies Cell at higherstudies@mie.ac.mu or the Programme Lead from SMU, Dr Mary Mihovilovic, at mary.mihovilovic@stmarys.ac.uk
- Doctor of Education (EdD)
MIE students will be able to progress directly to Stage 2 of the doctorate programme offered by SMU. This programme, also known as a professional doctorate in education, is offered on a part-time, online and distance mode of study. Students will benefit from the expertise of a supervisory team, including faculty from both SMU and the MIE.
To join the programme, students will need to have successfully completed an MPhil Ed or an MRes, equivalent to Stage 1 of the course. The MIE offers an MPhil in Education programme since 2023, offered on both full-time and part-time basis.
For more information on the EdD programme, please visit SMU’s website:
https://www.stmarys.ac.uk/education/mauritius-institute-of-education-partnership.aspx
You may also contact the MIE’s Higher Studies Cell at higherstudies@mie.ac.mu or the Programme Lead from SMU, Dr Mark Price, at mark.price@stmarys.ac.uk
- Research
One cornerstone of the partnership between the MIE and SMU is engagement in collaborative research that serve to explore joint areas of interest in our respective contexts. Research projects set up aim at developing better understanding of educational challenges and proposing ways for improvement based on research findings illuminated by insights from broader contexts. Research endeavours involve a focus on school level education as well as higher education.
The two programmes offered through this partnership are research-oriented and the aim is also to provide platforms for students to share their research and disseminate their findings. This will take the form of joint events where students from both institutions present different aspects of their research work.
- Other collaborative activities
The MIE and SMU are also committed to draw on the expertise of their respective faculty members and on their potentially different outlooks to advance discussions in areas that Higher Education Institutions are concerned with worldwide. In this context, activities such as workshops, symposia, and webinars will be regular events organised to promote discussions and sharing.