Youth empowered with Artificial Intelligence and cybersecurity skills

Government’s ambition to equip 50,000 Mauritians with skills in new technologies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being translated into action through initiatives aimed at preparing young people to make responsible use of emerging technologies while strengthening their awareness of cybersecurity risks.

In this context, some 500 Grade 10 and Grade 12 students from schools across the four education zones participated, yesterday, in a ‘Cybersecurity and AI Awareness’ workshop at the Mahatma Gandhi Institute Auditorium in Moka. The initiative, spearheaded by Mauritius Telecom in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Human Resource, marks the start of a broader training and awareness programme that will continue over the coming year.

The Minister of Education and Human Resource, Dr Mahend Gungapersad, and representatives of Mauritius Telecom, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority, the National Cybersecurity Committee and the Office of the Ombudsperson for Children were present at the launching ceremony.

In his address, Minister Gungapersad highlighted the importance of strengthening awareness campaigns to protect students from the misuse of technology and the risks associated with the digital environment. While pointing out the benefits of technology, particularly in education, he urged students to use digital tools responsibly and uphold integrity and ethical standards when using AI.

The Minister further drew attention to technology-related risks and crimes, including hacking, online child abuse and scams, which can particularly affect young and vulnerable users. He emphasised that such initiatives are essential to equip young people with the knowledge and practical skills needed to use AI and other digital tools safely, responsibly and effective.

For his part, Mr Gungadin referred to the National Budget 2026–2027, which provides for national digital training programmes aimed at equipping around 50,000 citizens with practical AI and digital skills. He moreover cautioned that while AI offers significant opportunities for learning, innovation and development, the digital environment also presents new risks, thus the importance of empowering the youth.

The workshop aimed to help students better understand the opportunities offered by AI and encourage its responsible use, while raising awareness of the risks associated with increased digitalisation. Experts from Mauritius Telecom, Absa Bank Mauritius Ltd and Trend Micro conducted sessions on various aspects of AI, cybersecurity and online safety.

Discussions focused on the responsible use of AI tools, phishing, online scams, cyberbullying and misinformation, as well as measures that young people can adopt to better protect their personal data and digital identity. Practical demonstrations further illustrated how cybercriminals may exploit curiosity, trust and a sense of urgency to induce users to click on links, disclose information or grant access to their devices.

As a follow-up to the workshop, the 500 participating students will benefit from 10 hours of free online training through Amazon Web Services, with the opportunity to obtain a certification free of charge.

14 August 2026

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Topics: Technology