Research activities remain one of the key pillars of a university. In an interconnected and globalized world, Mauritius requires an educated citizenry to generate a constant flow of research and innovation and to sustain its international competitiveness. To become a foundational piece of the Mauritian educational infrastructure that meets this need, OU has set up a Research Office. Its main objective is to develop the infrastructure and logistics for OU to become a strong research-active university. This will enable OU as a public research university to serve the nation as an engine of innovation, growth, and opportunity for Mauritians of all backgrounds and fuel state and economic development.

The Research Office will called to act as a national and international centre of excellence in key research areas like Education, Big Data Analytics, Public Health and Interculturality amongst others. It will thus be a catalyst to encourage creative research, innovative scholarship, and a spirit of inquiry leading to the generation of new knowledge within the University.

The three policies that gear the activities of the Research Office, are as follows:

Policy on Research, Consultancy and Innovation: The primary purpose of this policy is to encourage influential, high-quality and innovative research by providing a supporting environment in which researchers, research associates and learners can flourish and gain in stature both nationally and internationally.

Research Ethics Policy: This policy is meant to inform the researcher of his/her responsibilities in conducting ethical research; assist the researcher in understanding and promoting adherence to all applicable procedures and to protect the rights of all stakeholders.

Research Funds Policy: This policy provides the necessary framework for academics/researchers at OU to obtain and manage research funding effectively. Such funding could either be internal or from external sources, including international bodies.

1. Encourage staff and learners to conduct research and present research articles at internal conferences.
2. Provide training in research related topics
3. Organise lectures in research related issues
4. Organise Research Forums
5. Organise Int. Conferences in collaboration with other institutions
6. Advise on all matters related to articles�� and books�� chapter publication
7. Keep track record of all publications by OU staff and learners
8. Follow up on invitation to submit research proposals