IORA Team

Mr. Sajid Mian Mallam Hassam is the Chief Coordinator at the IORA Secretariat and joined IORA in March 2006. He is tasked with the responsibility of supervising staff and junior employees. He provides assistance to professional staff in correspondence relating to Council meetings (COM, CSO, WGTI, BF, AG, WGHM) and updates the status of IORA projects.

He completed a Training Course for IORA Diplomats which was conducted by the Indian Foreign Service Institute of the Ministry of External Affairs from 4 to 14 September, 2013, in New Delhi, India.

Before joining IORA, Sajid Mian Mallam Hassam earlier worked in the private sector as a Data Analyst in the Data Processing and Analysis Division of the Market and Economic Studies Department from 1994 to 2004. He has been involved in various quantitative surveys and has acquired extensive experience, inter-alia, in areas such as customer satisfaction surveys, general consumption, brand evaluation surveys, etc.

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Ms. Samima Saumtally joined the IORA Secretariat in February 2007 and holds a Diploma in Communication and Business English from Cambridge University in United Kingdom and has completed courses in International Business at the University of Mauritius and Hospitality Management at Ecole Hotelier in Mauritius.  She has 10 years of experience as a Secretary and Senior Administrative Assistant including leading private firms in London where she developed useful communication and organizational skills.

Currently Ms. Saumtally is the Executive Secretary for the IORA Secretary General.  She also provides broader administrative support to the IORA Secretariat in a key coordination role which includes scheduling meetings, monitoring incoming emails, responsibility for general correspondence, maintaining databases and contacts, managing  hard copy and electronic filing systems, and supporting IORA events overseas.  

Dr. Shamimtaz Sadally has a PhD in Marine Molecular Biology and Ecology and a BSc (Hons) degree in Biology from the University of Mauritius. She has presented her PhD work at several national and international conferences and has publications in international peer-reviewed journals.

She has been recognised for her scientific contribution at several occasions. She was nominated among the top five Mauritian Scientists at the Mauritius Research Council (MRC) Best Mauritian Scientist Award 2016 and won the Second Best Research for MRC Sponsored Post Graduates in 2014.

Dr. Sadally has been appointed as the Coordinator to lead the Blue Economy Team at IORA since January 2015. As part of her job, she has been analysing the need and capacities of IORA Member States in terms of the Blue Economy, based on which she formulates projects and draft project proposals to be implemented in Member States. She is also involved in the IORA Sustainable Development Programmes for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which aims at optimising benefits of all IORA Member States and enable LDCs to host events on specific topics based on their priorities. Dr Sadally is motivated to contribute to the sustainable development of the Blue Economy, as well as to provide expert assistance and support to IORA Member States.

Ms. Pooja Jhinni Awotar holds a BA in History and International Relations from the University of Mauritius. Passionate about Diplomacy, Ms. Awotar further pursued a Masters degree in International Affairs and Diplomacy from the American Graduate School (AGS) in Paris. She attended two Model United Nations Conferences in Barcelona in May 2012 and in London in February 2013 where she was commended for her performances being part of the RIO+20 committee as well as ASEAN.

Ms. Awotar started her career in Marketing and Communications at Sun Resorts, Le Matinal and Baker Tilly in Mauritius and thus giving her a wide experience in different sectors; hotel, media and finance.

Passionate about writing and literature, Ms. Awotar contributed to a few columns writing about globalization, secularization, geopolitics and religion. Her MA thesis entitled, "Tears of Tibet: A Case study of the Sino-Tibetan war," has been well received.

Ms. Awotar joined IORA in December 2016 as Project Officer focusing on different priority areas such as, Trade and Investment, Tourism and Cultural Exchange; Academic, Science and Technology, as well as Women's Economic Empowerment.

Ms. Kritika N. Nuckchady is a young graduate from the University of Kent, United Kingdom. Holding a Bachelor of Laws, she has developed a keen interest for political culture, humanitarian intervention and international security since early in her studies.

During an internship at the Delegation of the European Union in 2015, Ms Nuckchady assisted in monitoring EU-funded development projects and helped with press releases. She also contributed to a sensitisation campaign to promote Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency.

Ms. Nuckchady joined the Indian Ocean Rim Association in 2016 as an intern, before moving to a full-time position as a Project Officer. Her main areas of focus are Tourism & Cultural Exchange, Renewable Energy, Water Security & Sustainability and SYDP. She also assists the Blue Economy Team of IORA.

Ms. Daniëlla Smit is a graduate from the University of Mauritius with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Resources and is a certified Digital Marketing professional from DMI, United Kingdom.

Ms. Smit joined the Secretariat as an intern in 2016 to assist the management of the office of the Chair in Indian Ocean Studies and various research projects on Trade and Investment, Maritime Safety and Security and the Blue Economy. She has also been assisting the compilation of the Blue Economy Handbook by the CIOS in collaboration with the Human Sciences Research Council of South Africa.  Ms Smit joined as a full time Project Officer in 2017.

In the IORA Secretariat, Ms. Smit assists various research projects and is responsible for the management of the IORA website and media outreach of the Association.

Mr. Seewoogolam Seewoosagur is the IORA Secretariat's official driver and is responsible for taking care of the official vehicle, maintaining and servicing them as required. He assists in dispatching correspondence and other office work, whenever required.

Mr.  Intiaz Khodabocus assists office staff with filing, photocopies, binding, sending faxes, and the dispatching of correspondence. He performs the duties of driver or receptionist whenever required.

Mr. Makoon Ghaneswar is responsible for the cleanliness of the office premises and such other responsibilities as entrusted to him time to time. He is also caretaker of the office premises.