WCP Virtual International Conference

Special Theme: COVID-19 and the Sustainability of Blue Entrepreneurship

8-9 December 2021

Organized by the WTO Chairs Programme  (WCP) at the University of Mauritius(UoM)

PROGRAMME

DAY 1

WEDNESDAY 8 DECEMBER 2021

OPENING CEREMONY AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS: 11:00-13:00

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11:00-11:05

Opening and Welcoming remarks by WCP Team (UoM, Mauritius)

11:05-11:10

Address by Mr Werner Zdouc, WCP Team (WTO)

11:10-11:15

Address by Prof D Jhurry, Vice-Chancellor, University of Mauritius

11:15-11:30

Address and formal opening by The Hon Soomilduth Bholah,

Minister of Industrial Development, SMEs and Cooperatives

11:30-1210

​Keynote Address :

-Ambassador H E Mr Xiangchen ZHANG, Deputy Director-General, WTO

-Dr Yuvan  Beejadhur, Senior Adviser to the Director General, WTO

12:10 - 13:00

PANEL DISCUSSION : COVID-19 and Blue Entrepreneurship.

Panelists: M Sadni Jallab (WTO), A. Bolaky (UNECA),  K Lundquist (ERSD,WTO), D Ramdenee (Economic Development Board)  & Paul Baker ( International Economics).

Moderator :Ambassador  U Cannabady (Permanent Mission of Mauritius to the WTO)

PARALLEL SESSIONS I: 13:00-15:00

TRACK 1

THEME:

COVID-19 and MSMEs: Impacts, Challenges, Opportunities and Recovery Measures I

.

Chair: Dr K Padachi

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1. COVID-19 and MSMEs in Mutare, Zimbabwe: Impacts, challenges, opportunities and recovery measures

S Murairwa (College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance, Africa University, Zimbabwe)

2. COVID 19 pandemic and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs): Impacts and recovery measures. 

M Behera, S Mishra, N Mohapatra & A RBehera–(Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi; Baji Rout Memorial College, Dhenkanal, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar; Utkal University, Bhubaneswar)

3. Developing competitiveness of SMEs to build resilience to COVID-19.

H Batool (International Trade Centre, UN/ WTO, Geneva)

4. Enhancing online financial and digital education to ensure business continuity in the COVID-19 era.

K Padachi, D Mauree-Narrainen& A Boolaky (University of Technology, Mauritius)

TRACK 2

THEME:

COVID-19 and Blue Entrepreneurship

Chair: Dr V Tandrayen

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1. The contradiction of the fisheries sector in relation to the socio-economic effects of COVID-19 and health measures in the Mauritian blue economy.

 D Michel (University of Mauritius)

2. Risk sharing and investment strategies for small fisheries enterprises (PEs) in the COVID-19 period.

A B Book Nyobe (University of Douala, Cameroon)

3. Is the future of the blue entrepreneurs still blue after the dark era of COVID 19?

 V Tandrayen-Ragoobur, V Mooneeram-Chadee, and B Seetanah (University of Mauritius)

4. Pandemic and its impact on micro enterprises in the coastal districts of Karnataka.

G Shanbhogue (GFGC Shankaranarayana, Karnataka-India)

PARALLEL SESSIONS II: 15:00-17:00

TRACK 1

THEME: COVID-19 and MSMEs: Impacts, Challenges, Opportunities and Recovery Measures II

Chair: Dr Teeroovengadum V

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1. COVID-19 production and employment effects on business enterprises in Ethiopia: insights from Rapid Phone Survey.

M Araya, T Woldehanna & H Ali (Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia)

2. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on consumer behaviour for online grocery shopping in Mauritius.

R Dhonye and V Teeroovengadum (University of Mauritius)

3. Can networking help in facilitating the internationalisation of SMEs in the aftermath of COVID-19? - A survey among Mauritian export-oriented SMEs on the perceived benefits of networking to their internationalisation.

R. Sannegadu and R. Gunesh (University of Mauritius)

4. COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on household and small business in Nigeria

 A A Dantsoho (The Federal Polytechnic Bida, Department of Public Administration, Niger State, Nigeria)

5. Enhancing Operational Efficiency Of SMEs And Facilitating The Green Energy Transition Of  Businesses In Mauritius

               G Chinnapen & R Badalo0 (Mauritius Chamber of Commerce and Industry)

TRACK 2

THEME:COVID-19 and   DIGITALISATION

Chair: Dr  Fauzel S

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1. The 4th industrial revolution and COVID-19: The increase in digital trade in goods and services in Cameroon.

                 G Mbipan Kwachuh (Ministry of Trade, Yaounde, Cameroon)

2.  COVID-19: ERPNext: A Case Study.

                V Goorah (National Productivity and Competitiveness Council, Mauritius)

3. COVID-19 and MSMES: The opportunities, challenges and relevance of digital trade business resilience of small enterprises in Mauritius in a COVID-19 context.

                N K Betcho (Université des Mascareignes, Mauritius)

4. Driving digital trade amid COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from African MSMEs.

               G Odularu and I  Okhale (Socio-Economic Research and Applications LLC       

              (SERAP) and Department of Economics and Business, Bay Atlantic University, U.S;        

               Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, Abuja, Nigeria)

PARALLEL SESSION III - 11:00-13:00

TRACK 1

THEME:

COVID-19 and MSMEs Finance

Chair: Dr R Babajee

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1. Small firms amidst COVID-19: Financial Constraints and role of government support. 

S. Sasidharan, R, R Natarajan and R Chundakkadan. (Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, India; Sikkim University, Gangtok, India; Indian Institute of Technology Bhilai, Raipur, India)

2. Macroeconomic impact of COVID-19 on two selected economies in Southern Africa: The role of foreign direct investment. J H Eita

(School of Economics; University of Johannesburg; South Africa)

3. Impact of access to finance on the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises: Does the COVID-19 pandemic make a difference?

N. Bhowoniah (University of Mauritius)

4. Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the IPO Indices: An event study approach.

S S Nair, J J Jerush, N. Sharma(School of Commerce, Finance and Accountancy CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Delhi NCR)

TRACK 2

THEME:COVID-19 and Women Entrepreneurs

Chair: V Mooneeram-Chadee

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1.  Impact of COVID-19 on women Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Mauritius

L M M Amelot and N Gopy-Ramdhany (University of Mauritius)

2. The socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the lifestyle of the elderly women in the informal sector in Mauritius.

R Suntoo (University of Mauritius)

3. Empowerment of Mauritian Women Entrepreneurs in the Wake and Beyond the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Critical Investigation of Covid-19 ‘Womenpreneurs’ experience of Covid-19 and the Existing Challenges and Opportunities in a Covid-19 New World Order: The Case of Mauritius

 K A Appadoo and  A Beebeejaun (University of Mauritius)

4. Challenges and Opportunities of Survivalist Female Owned Small & Medium Enterprises in Africa: 2019 African Continental Free Trade Area and COVID 19. 

Val Okaru-Bisant ( Afrocosmo Development Impact, LLC, Maryland, USA)

PARALLEL SESSION lV - 13:00-15:00

TRACK 1

THEME     COVID-19 and MSMEs: Impacts, Challenges, Opportunities and Recovery Measures III

Chair: Dr V Tandrayen

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1. Supply chains in times of crisis: Evidence from Kenya's production networks.

P Chacha, B Kirui and V Wiedemann (IMF, Kenya Revenue Authority and University of Oxford)

2. Impact of COVID-19 on small business outcomes in Mauritius.

S Fauzel, V Tandrayen-Ragoobur, B Seetanah, V Teeroovengadum, Z Khan Jaffur and J De Melo(University of Mauritius, University of Geneva)

3. Internationalization barriers faced by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): A Mauritian study.

K.Bundhoo and R Sannegadu (University of Mauritius)

4. The benefits of technological developments on businesses: A survey conducted among SMEs in the city of Beni, Democratic Republic of Congo.

K K Rodrigue (Texila American University and Adventist University of Lukanga, Democratic Republic of Congo)

TRACK 2

THEME:

COVID-19 and  Regulatory Responses

SESSION IV

Chair: V MooneeramChadee

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1. Survival of MSMEs in the wake of COVID-19: A comparative study of regulatory responses between Mauritius and UK.

A Beebeejaun, H Ibrahim and H Masirah (University of Mauritius)

2. International virtual contracting, role of UNCISG & UNCITRAL in the legislative landscape in common law and civil law contracts.

R P Gunputh and A Beebeejaun (University of Mauritius)

3.  How can the SME Act 2017 and the current institutional and regulatory frameworks in Mauritius promote the contribution of SMEs to the blue economy?

M V Uppiah and T Dawoodarry (University of Mauritius)

4. The regulatory constraints for MSMEs to adopt e-commerce in the COVID-19 era.

V. Mooneeram-Chadee (University of Mauritius)

PARALLEL SESSION V – 15:00-17:00

TRACK 1

THEME:

COVID-19 &SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

Chair: Dr Juwaheer R

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1. How do Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) perceive the contribution of Social Media Marketing (SMM) on their sustainability during COVID-19 crisis? Evidence from Mauritius.

T D Juwaheer, R Sannegadu and S Pudaruth (University of Mauritius)

2. Exploring Social media usage by Mauritian SMEs during COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study.

V Ramlugun and K Wen Yu Fen (University of Mauritius)

3. Antecedents of artificial intelligence adoption in MSME: From an employee perspective.

R Payal and N Sharma (School of Business and Management, CHRIST (Deemed to be University) Delhi, NCR, India)

4. Surviving Disasters through Effective Business Continuity Management Practices: The Case of the Mauritian MSMEs in times of Covid-19 Pandemic towards Organisational Resilience 

S Joomunbaccus and K Padachi (University of Technology, Mauritius)

TRACK 2

THEME: COVID-19 and MSMEs

Chair: Dr B Seetanah

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1. An analysis of progress of MSME’s in Garhwalregion of Uttarakhand.

D Tomar(University of Kota, Rajasthan, India)

2.  Assessing the economic impact of COVID-19 in Mauritius.

N Gooroochurn and S Seechurn (Economic Development Board, Mauritius)

3. What Causes Spread of COVID-19 across-Countries, Regional Groupings and across Indian States and Districts: An Econometric and Deep Learning Investigations.

S K Mathur (The Department of Economic Sciences, IIT Kanpur, U Pradesh, India)

4. Digital Trading by MSMEs under the African Continental Free Trade Area  Uchenna Anyamele (Hakakire Legal Consulting Services, Nigeria)