Dr Dinesh Surroop

Dr Dinesh Surroop is the Director-General of the Open University of Mauritius. He is a higher education leader and academic with a strong commitment to internationalisation, institutional transformation and inclusive access to learning. 

He holds a First Class Honours degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Environmental Engineering. He was awarded the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) scholarship in 2002 to pursue postgraduate study and the Guest Scholarship by the Swedish Institute to do part of his PhD at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), Sweden in 2006. His research interests are in waste-to-energy, energy access, energy security, climate change and circular economy in Small Island Developing States. 

He has authored more than 65 Scopus-indexed publications, the majority of which appeared in Q1 and Q2 journals. His work has attracted more than 1800 citations. He also serves as a reviewer for several international peer-reviewed journals. He has edited two books namely the Nexus: Energy, Environment and Climate Change, and Climate-Smart Technologies: Integrating Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Mitigation and Adaptation Responses.

In addition to his academic work, Dr Surroop has served as a consultant and expert advisor to international organisations such as the World Bank, UNIDO, UNDESA, UNEP and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa. He also serves on the Academic Advisory Board of the Island Policy Lab at the University of Delaware, USA.

Prior to his appointment as Director-General, Dr Surroop was Pro Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) at the University of Mauritius. During his tenure, he led a major financial turnaround, strengthened institutional planning systems, optimised expenditure and increased revenue. He also supported growth in local and international student enrolment.