St Andrew's College Wins the National Learn – Artificial Intelligence Innovation Challenge
St Andrew's College has secured first place in the inaugural National Learn – Artificial Intelligence (AI) Innovation Challenge, receiving its award during a ceremony held on Monday, December 15, 2025, at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute in Moka. The President of the Republic of Mauritius, Dharam Gokhool, was present at the event.
The London College claimed second place, followed by Mootoocoomaren Sungeelee State Secondary School in third. Queen Elizabeth College finished fourth, while St Joseph's College took fifth place.
The ceremony was attended by the Vice-President of the Republic of Mauritius, Jean Yvan Robert Hungley, the Deputy Minister of Social Integration, Social Security, and National Solidarity, Kugan Parapen, Senior Vice President of Dayforce, Vidia Mooneegan, General Manager of DoraCrea, Vasenden Dorasami, Mauritius Telecom's Chairman, Sarat Lallah, and other dignitaries.
An initiative by Dayforce, DoraCrea, and Mauritius Telecom in collaboration with the President's Office, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources, and the Ministry of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation, the competition aimed to engage Lower Six (Grade 12) students in technology and empower them to propose AI-based solutions for national challenges. A total of 69 secondary schools in Mauritius participated, submitting 94 innovative projects.
In his speech, the President congratulated the students for the quality and impact of their projects, highlighting their creativity, imagination, and potential. He emphasized that the future would be shaped by artificial intelligence, rooted in strong ethical values and human integration, with youth at the forefront of the Mauritian economy.
Reflecting on the origins of the challenge, Dharam Gokhool noted that the initiative aims to prepare young people to embrace technological change with courage, responsibility, integrity, and foresight. He pointed out that the challenge tested the youths' ability to use AI responsibly, creatively, and meaningfully to address real national issues, with unequivocal outcomes.
The President added that the students demonstrated that transformation is not limited to boardrooms or policymakers but can be guided by ethics through effective partnerships between the public, private, and civil sectors. He encouraged students to continue using technology to design, build, and innovate, leveraging their imagination and resilience to tackle real-world challenges across all sectors.
For his part, Vidia Mooneegan praised the students for their innovative ideas and emphasized the importance of leveraging artificial intelligence to transform Mauritius into a solution-oriented nation. He called on stakeholders to support and further develop the presented ideas, stressing that young people have the potential to position Mauritius as a digital hub in the region.