Management institute celebrates 25th birthday

Ms Lucy Athanasius Ah-Weng  (left) and Minister Alexander cut the SIM’s 25th birthday cake

The silver jubilee for one of the oldest institutes of higher learning in Seychelles brought out a distinguished crowd Thursday October16 in a ceremony to celebrate its 25-year history.

The Seychelles Institute of Management (SIM) has seen a number of the country’s more prominent figures pass through its halls during the past quarter-century, and many of them returned to Ma Joie Thursday to reflect on the institution’s development since its start in 1978 as the Management Training Centre.

Some of the most influential people who helped to shape the creation and development of the SIM, such as its founder, Guy Morel, and its first lecturer, Graham Jones, took the audience through some of the stories behind its evolution.

Addressing the invitees, Mr Morel said that the idea for the school came out of necessity more than anything else. 

With many of the minds heading up the country’s finances imported from the U.K., Mr Morel wanted to have a place where classes could be run, during working hours, to help locals do what was needed for the country.

“Accidents are caused by untrained people – there was no way I was going to assume responsibility for the development of the finance of this country working with untrained people,” Mr Morel joked during his speech.

Mr Morel’s vision, backed by President France Albert Rene, resulted in the formation of a small class set up in Mont Fleuri, initially taught by Mr Morel himself.

As the school and the demand for its offerings grew, more space to conduct the classes, along with additional personnel, were needed.

Mr Jones, who has come back to Seychelles on the occasion 23 years after his stint with the SIM, said that over the past few years the institution has made great progress from the time when he and Mr Morel were running it. 

Mr Jones recalled the day when Mr Morel picked him up in his automobile after an urgent call.  When he asked where it was they were going, Mr Jones said a mischievous smile came across Mr Morel’s face.

“We’re going to buy a college,” he said.

From there, the institution at Ma Joie has grown to offer a wide variety of courses in accounting, management and marketing, along with a number of distance learning opportunities for adults who want to further their education. 

SIM is also on its way to becoming a fully certified educational institute with the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants, said its director, Lucy Athanasius Ah-Weng.

Antonio Gopal, president of the Seychelles National Olympic Committee, also made a speech at the ceremony as a former SIM student.  Mr Gopal, who has sat for 12 different SIM training programmes, said the institution has the potential to even reach university status.

The Minister for Administration and Manpower, Noellie Alexander, said during her address that the SIM would be critical for Seychelles to keep pace with the prospect of increasing globalisation and changes in the working environment.

“Seychelles is no longer 1,000 miles from anywhere,” she said.

After the speeches, souvenir awards were presented to some of the SIM’s key figures. Minister Alexander accepted an award on behalf of President Rene for his longstanding support of the institution, and she also accepted her own award for the ministry’s role as a parent organisation to the SIM.

Mr Morel took home an award for his obvious role with the SIM, and Minister of Tourism and Transport Simone De Comarmond, who was one of the first SIM students, also garnered one of the awards.

An exhibition of photographs and newspaper articles chronicling the past 25 years of the SIM’s development has also been set up at the institute of Ma Joie. 

The birthday celebration will continue today with a series of presentations on topics ranging from human resources development to E-commerce.

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