The 5th International Conference of the College of Education entitled “Sport and Sustainable Development” commenced on 8 October 2018 at the University on under the patronage of H.E. Sheikh Saad Mohammed Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs. The conference aims to shed the light on the importance of sport and its role in advancing and sustaining development of individuals. The conference is an opportunity for scholars, and professionals interested in educational issues to communicate, consult with each other, exchange expertise and successful experiences in the sport and physical education on regional and international levels. The conference addresses two major themes namely “physical activity and health of individuals and society “Toward a better life”; and “humanities and the development and sustainability of sport”.
The conference is organized in association with several international organizations including Newman University, Birmingham, UNESCO, GUTech, University of Tsukuba, Japan, Gulf Studies Centre, and Development and Research Academy for Sports Science Activities (DRASSA), UAE.
At the opening ceremony, Dr. Badriya Khalfan Al Hadabi, General Rapporteur of the Conference and Head of the Physical Education Department at the College of Education, said that the civilized world have attached great importance to physical education and sports sciences. “The sport movement is an important part of the societies’ movement and it considered as an important sector. We have to give it a great importance, develop strategies, keep pace with development and face future challenges”.
The first session of the conference was chaired by Prof. Abdullah Khamis Ambusaidi, Director of Humanities Research Center at SQU. Prof. Yahya Al-Nakeeb, keynote speaker from the Republic of Iraq, presented a paper entitled "The role of physical and sports education programs in promoting children and young people health in particular and society in general”. In addition, Ms. Jana El Baba, Program Specialist for Social and Human Sciences at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) presented a paper on “Maximizing the Power of Sport for Sustainable Development”. She discussed the relation between the sport and sustainable development and the ways to promote the role of sport in achieving the objectives of global sustainable development. She highlighted the role of UNESCO in improving and implementing the policy of sport education at schools and outside and enhancing their life skills in order to achieve sustainable development in the Arab region.
More than 100 papers covering various themes are presented during the two days of the conference. This initiative of the Department of Physical Education at Sultan Qaboos University is a manifestation of the University’s message that seeks to achieve a sophisticated level in scientific research, and highlight the recent scientific developments in the physical education and sport sciences. Participants from various countries such as Egypt, Jordan, Algeria, Libya, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Tunisia, the UAE, Sudan, Kuwait, Palestine, Qatar and Morocco are attending the conference.
The conference will make recommendations and suggestions to improve the level of preparation and development of individuals who constitute a part of society contributing to sustainable quality of individuals and development of the society. Physical education and sport sciences play a strategic role in attaining sustainable development of individuals and society as they are associated with the most vital sectors, namely; health, education, production, and other areas.