From 17 to 20 November 2026, the Centre for Indian Ocean Territorial Development Studies (CEDTI) will hold the third edition of its annual colloquium at the Institut Français de Maurice (IFM). Dedicated to “Island Ambiances”, this edition will bring together researchers, built-environment professionals, artists and the general public around one central question: how do island ambiances shape the way we live, and how can understanding them help us face an uncertain future? Research presentations, exhibitions, performances, an immersive tour, creative workshops and open discussions will fill the four days. The third colloquium is supported by the Medine Group and the IFM, a CEDTI partner since its launch at the Africa–Europe Forum.
Beyond visible landscapes and physical infrastructure, islands are also lived and perceived through their ambiances: the textures and seasonal variations that shape our experience of places. These sensory dimensions influence how communities inhabit spaces, remember places and imagine their future. Yet they remain largely unexplored in local research frameworks.
“The term ambiance has its origins in two complementary dimensions: the atmosphere that surrounds us, and the feelings that emerge from interactions between humans, non-humans and their environment. Today, most people associate ambiance with an impression, or a vibe, felt on entering a social or physical space. Yet research conducted over several decades in sociology, geography, architecture and many other disciplines shows that ambiances go far beyond a mere feeling or measurable atmospheric conditions. They influence how we perceive, experience and connect with the world around us,” explains Dr Farrah Jahangeer, Director of CEDTI.
As a partner of this third CEDTI colloquium, the Medine Group wishes to contribute to a collective reflection on the future of our territories and on how we plan and inhabit them. Faced with changing climatic conditions and growing pressure on natural resources, the Group considers it essential to evolve planning and construction practices. This responsibility leads it to question established approaches, explore new avenues and open itself further to research and innovation. This thinking builds on the Group’s existing sustainable construction initiatives, including the design of green buildings, stormwater management through bioswales within its smart city, and the integration of ecological corridors into its development projects. Beyond the technical and environmental aspects, Medine also wishes to explore the human dimension of built spaces. Light, sound, materials, sensations, artistic expression and human interaction all contribute to their identity, their comfort and the well-being of those who live in them. It is in this spirit that its collaboration with CEDTI takes shape. The collaboration is also reflected in the architecture competition on affordable housing in Bambous, whose awards ceremony will take place during the colloquium. The competition seeks to encourage proposals that take into account the accessibility of housing, its adaptation to local climatic realities and the quality of living spaces.
The Institut français de Maurice (IFM) supports this third edition of CEDTI’s annual colloquium by hosting most of the planned activities and by backing, in particular, the AI conference and several initiatives organised as part of Novembre Numérique. This partnership gives the event wider visibility and provides a space for meeting and dialogue among researchers, professionals, artists, students and the general public.
A tool for understanding island spaces
For island territories such as Mauritius, which are increasingly exposed to the effects of climate change, understanding these ambiances is a way to strengthen the bonds between people and their environment. This approach can help foster greater awareness of environmental issues, a sense of collective responsibility and local initiatives in response to the challenges our islands face.
With many CEDTI researchers actively working in this field, this third edition naturally turned to island ambiances. Drawing on geography, architecture, heritage, design, the humanities and environmental sciences, as well as emerging technologies, the invited researchers will explore the human dimension of environmental change. Their work highlights a central idea: island life is not only something we measure; it is also something we feel.
Understanding these lived experiences makes it possible to envisage more resilient approaches that are better suited to local realities, whether in land-use planning, architectural design or community development. In Mauritius, where environmental change is visible in water stress, coastal erosion and urban transformation, these questions are particularly pressing. Preparing for the future therefore requires not only scientific and technical knowledge, but also a deeper understanding of how residents experience places and give them meaning.
A programme to experience territories differently
The colloquium programme has been designed to encourage exchange between disciplines and to offer the public different ways of exploring island ambiances. Research presentations will be accompanied by interactive discussions, while conferences, performances and evening events will bring scientific, artistic and professional perspectives together.
Visitors can discover the Island Ambiances exhibition, a constellation of works exploring how island territories are perceived, remembered and imagined. An open forum will also invite reflection on how Mauritians occupy and transform their territories.
The creative workshops will offer further experiences, including virtual reality tools for imagining the cities of tomorrow in the face of climate constraints, a serious game on coastal adaptation, and workshops on open-source artificial intelligence and digital sovereignty.
On 19 November, the public can discover and try out Akot Lakot, the serious game on coastal adaptation in Mauritius and Rodrigues developed by CEDTI as part of its public-awareness campaign Nou Lakot Pe Rekile: Ki Pou Reste? (“Our coast is receding: what will remain?”). Led by Dr Farrah Jahangeer and Prof. Nathalie Bernardie-Tahir of Géolab, this workshop offers an interactive approach to coastal issues and to the choices territories may face.
Three colloquia, one common thread: the relationship between people and their environment
“This third edition builds on the thinking begun at CEDTI’s first two colloquia, devoted to water and to coastal transitions. These meetings have gradually allowed us to examine the relationships between Mauritius, its resources, its spaces and the transformations affecting them. The first colloquium placed water issues at the heart of the discussions, while the second edition, held in November 2025, looked at changes in coastal areas and the challenges of adapting to them. With ‘Island Ambiances’, CEDTI continues this reflection by looking at how individuals perceive and experience their environment. Water, coastal transitions and ambiances are not separate themes, but complementary ways of understanding how island societies interact with their territories,” adds Dr Farrah Jahangeer.
Together, these three themes remind us that places are much more than physical spaces. They are lived, experienced, remembered and continually transformed by everyday practices. By bringing scientific research, professional practice, artistic creation and lived experience into dialogue, CEDTI aims to contribute to a fuller understanding of territorial issues in Mauritius and the Indian Ocean region.
Across these three editions, a single ambition emerges: to better understand the links between people and their environment, in order to inform thinking on the evolution and future of island territories.
Colloquium schedule
17 November 2026 at the IFM
- 9:30 am – 4:00 pm: Research presentations
- 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Official launch evening of the colloquium, performance by ABAIM, Architecture Competition awards ceremony and opening of the Island Ambiances exhibition
18 November 2026
- 7:00 am – 10:30 am: Immersive tour, Discovery Trail from Flic-en-Flac to Tamarin.
- 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Research presentations, IFM, multipurpose room, followed by an interactive discussion.
- 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Open Forum, IFM amphitheatre. “Occupations and Pre-occupations of Urban and Architectural Ambiances”, introduced by guerrilla geographer Daniel Raven-Ellison.
19 November 2026 at the IFM
- 9:30 am – 10:30 am: Launch of the creative workshops, amphitheatre.
- 10:30 am – 4:30 pm: Creative workshops, multipurpose room, Micro-Folies and Agora:
- AI x Design – 2nd edition: applied artificial intelligence.
- Envision 2050: using immersive experience to envisage future urban climate stresses, presented by Professor Faten Hussein.
- Akot Lakot – Coastal Game: CEDTI’s serious game on coastal adaptation in Mauritius and Rodrigues
- 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm: Artificial intelligence conference, amphitheatre. “Building Digital Independence: Issues and Practices”.
20 November 2026 at the IFM
- 9:30 am – 4:30 pm: AI x Design creative workshop – 2nd edition, IFM multipurpose room.
Practical information
All events are free and open to the public with online registration, with the exception of the AI x Design workshops (2nd edition), which require a registration fee.
