𝐔-𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇 𝐈𝐀𝐉𝐔

International cooperation between U-Magis Madagascar and Jesuit universities in India continues to grow through the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU), a global network connecting Jesuit higher education institutions worldwide.

U-Magis Madagascar is currently hosting two distinguished guests from India: Dr. Sr. Candy D’Cunha and Ms. Tejal D’Mello. Their visit aims to strengthen existing partnerships and promote the exchange of knowledge, experience, and teaching practices.

𝐃𝐫. 𝐒𝐫. 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲 𝐃’𝐂𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐚 is an Associate Professor of English at the Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. She holds several academic responsibilities, including serving as the institution’s NAAC and IQAC Coordinator and Dean of Students’ affairs. She is the author of 29 books and has participated in numerous national and international conferences, as well as published several articles in reputed journals. She was chosen by her Management for this DELMI program.

𝐌𝐬. 𝐓𝐞𝐣𝐚𝐥 𝐃’𝐌𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨 is an Assistant Professor at the Xavier Institute of Engineering in Mumbai, where she teaches English and Communication Skills. She was delegated by her institution’s Director to contribute to this collaborative initiative and share her expertise in English language teaching.

Their visit to Madagascar reflects a shared commitment to strengthening academic cooperation and fostering the exchange of educational expertise between Jesuit institutions in India and Madagascar.

One of the main objectives of this partnership is to enhance English language teaching for all students at U-Magis Madagascar, equipping them with the language skills needed to meet the demands of an increasingly interconnected world. This initiative also opens up opportunities for future collaboration with Indian institutions, particularly through the exchange of teaching methodologies and the development of more effective English language learning programmes.

As part of this initiative, the two visiting lecturers conducted English classes for one week at the Umagis St Amparibe campus, followed by another week at the Umagis Bevalala campus. Students from Licence (Bachelor’s degree) to Master’s level benefited from these sessions, which were designed to strengthen their English proficiency regardless of their initial level.

The two lecturers expressed their satisfaction with the students’ active participation throughout the sessions. They particularly appreciated the students’ willingness to speak English, their confidence in participating in classroom activities, and their strong engagement in practical exercises. Overall, they observed that the students were highly motivated and quick to learn.

In her message to all U-Magis Madagascar students, Ms. Tejal D’Mello emphasised the importance of practising English regularly:

“𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐝. 𝐀𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐭.”

For her part, Sr. Candy highlighted the central role of English as the language of communication within the International Association of Jesuit Universities (IAJU). “𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐨, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚, 𝐉𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞, 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤,” she emphasized, encouraging the strengthening of language skills to facilitate international collaboration.

Through this initiative, U-Magis Madagascar reaffirms its commitment to international cooperation within the global Jesuit network. These partnerships contribute to promoting quality education, strengthening students’ language skills, and expanding their academic and professional opportunities on the international stage.

In this spirit, an official exchange of documents relating to the existing partnership between India and U-Magis Madagascar took place this morning.

The training programme officially came to a close with a memorable group photo, bringing together the participating first- and second-year (L1 and L2) students from the Epsa and Esbtp programmes ; alongside Fr. Hilarion Rakotoarison,S.J, President of U-Magis Madagascar and Director of the Bevalala Campus. This moment captured the spirit of togetherness and shared commitment that marked the occasion. They will return home with cherished memories of Madagascar, reflecting the enriching experience they have shared and the bonds they have forged during their stay. धन्यवाद