MUSCAT: The second edition of the Research Projects Forum at Higher Education Institutions commenced at Sultan Qaboos University under the theme “Transformations in STEAM Education in the Digital Revolution Era: Interdisciplinary Innovation and Empowerment for a Sustainable Future.”
The forum was jointly organised by the Oman Mathematics Committee and the Research Group for Innovation and Excellence in STEAM Education, with the participation of a distinguished group of academics, researchers and specialists in STEAM fields. The event was held under the auspices of Dr Sana bint Sabeel al Balushyah, Member of the State Council and attended by a number of faculty members, educators and researchers.
The forum underscores the importance of keeping pace with rapid digital transformations in STEAM education and highlights its pivotal role in reshaping learning systems and strengthening interdisciplinary integration. It seeks to empower teachers and students with future-ready competencies in line with the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Sustainable Development Goals. The forum also serves as an active academic platform for the exchange of expertise, the presentation of research and applied experiences; and the discussion of contemporary global practices and their potential application within local and Arab contexts.
In his opening remarks, Dr Mohammed bin Said al Ghafri, Member of the Oman Mathematics Committee, emphasised that investment in education is a fundamental pillar for building a generation capable of engaging with modern technologies and the challenges associated with them. He highlighted the importance of advancing the education system to ensure its relevance to contemporary demands and stressed the need to support high-quality research projects that contribute effectively to achieving sustainable development goals and strengthening the role of education in comprehensive national development.
Dr Mohammed Shahat delivered the address on behalf of the Research Group for Innovation and Excellence in STEAM Education at the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education. He noted that the forum stems from a firm conviction that STEAM education represents one of the most important strategic approaches to educational development, enabling a shift from content-centred teaching to capacity building and from rote learning to learning based on research, design, innovation and real-world problem-solving. He added that the forum reflects a growing awareness of the need to keep pace with accelerating digital transformations and their implications for redefining the role of the teacher, the nature of curricula and learning environments. He further affirmed that collaboration with the Oman Mathematics Committee represents an effective model of interdisciplinary integration and the unification of efforts between scientific research and educational development, particularly in advancing mathematics education within an integrated STEAM framework that enhances educational quality.
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