Roumaan Issemdar is one of the familiar faces of the Pierrefonds Campus managed by Uniciti Education Hub. As Campus Life Executive, she is its « great organiser » – the dedicated lady who designs and implements the array of activities it offers to instil a vibrant student lifestyle into the tertiary education cluster which regroups several renowned institutions. To Roumaan, carrying out her professional duties go beyond just getting the job done : her passion for human relationships and cultural life keeps her enthusiastically attuned to the interests of the campus’ youth.
Offering more than just academic curriculum
As Roumaan puts forward: “We welcome an increasing number of students on the campus. It is important to us, and foremost for them, that their student life is interesting, fulfilling and one that allows them to enjoy enriching experiences beyond the academic curricula solely.” The internationally acknowledged Pierrefonds Campus of Uniciti Education Hub hosts some 350 students coming not only from all regions of Mauritius but also several African countries. They attend world-renowned tertiary education institutions, namely SUPINFO International University, for information technology; ENSA Nantes, for architecture; Université Paris II Panthéon-Assas, for Law; and Ecole Centrale de Nantes for engineering.
The purpose of Uniciti Education Hub is to offer these students more than their academic curricula and beyond that an environment that is conducive to forging them into young adults who can express their potential fully, and also fully geared to evolve with ease in the professional world and diverse social contexts. “Campus Life” is the driving concept that answers this objective and the development of this concept is underpinned by a framework and activities meant to enhance peer spirit, discoveries, enriching cultural activities which can bring out aptitudes other than those related to their academic competencies and performance. The approach applied to promote all of this effectively is “Take part & Have fun”. To drive and sustain campus life based on this approach is Roumaan’s mission. As she says : “My presence on the campus is not limited to course time; I am also often present on Friday evenings and Saturdays when activities are held.“
“Campus Life’’ manages an array of enriching activities, among which the organisation of the election of the Student Council, pool parties, celebration of international days, collaborating to projects under the aegis of Fondation Medine Horizons, taking part in academic, sports or cultural competitions and events; supporting artists – all this also through events organised by external parties
From political science to Mount Kilimandjaro
Roumaan’s personal history and professional track record has in fact prepared her to take up the demanding and time-consuming functions she now occupies within Uniciti Education Hub. She is the third-born of a family with four children, studied at University of Mauritius where she successively obtained a Bachelor in Political Science and a Master in Management of Foreign Affairs. From the age of 11, Roumaan had been a dedicated Scout and, as she points out: “Scouting brought me a lot and contributed to my personal growth! I had the opportunity to go for training in this respect overseas, I was offered and assumed responsibilities within that framework. Therefore, although today, due to my professional responsibilities, I am less available on the field locally, on the international front I am still called upon as a consultant with regards to Scouting.“
Roumaan’s professional course started in the Communication sector – first with an agency, then for the Ministry of Finance. Thereafter she joined Medine in 2015 as a team member of Talents and from there, in 2018, shw joined Uniciti Education Hub. “I was immediately enthralled by my functions at Talents, which encompassed team building and motivational activities and respective support tasks. What I do as the Campus Life Executive of Uniciti Education Hub is somewhat similar as I am the students’ privileged contact person to bounce back ideas, the one to whom they come when they need advice…“.
Roumaan remains available to this end, willingly upholding the role of “the big sister” upon whom one can rely as much for disciplinary issues as for the organisation of entertainment events or a need for encouragement. Her purpose, as she sees it is to promote self-engagement and personal fulfilment for one and all across the student population of Pierrefonds Campus.
Conquering Africa’s highest peak
In March 2012, a group of 40 youngsters from several African countries were invited by the Secretary Generla of the United Nations Organisation to climb up to the top of the highest peak of the African continent, rising to 5 895 m), within the framework of the campaign – Women and Men: united to end violence against women. Roumaan was chosen to be the representative of Mauritius as she was then the Scout Cubs Commissioner for Mauritius and having been a Scout herself. In her luggage was the declaration text of the Mauritian Government as to its undertaking to fight violence against women and girls, as well as her own, expressing her personal position as a young female Mauritian citizen – both of which she read out to all present at the summit of Mount Kilimandjaro on the 8th March, marking International Women’s Day.
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