The College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences (CAMS), successfully organised the Symposium on “Active Learning in Agriculture, Marine, and Food Education: Innovations, Evidence, and Outcomes” at Maani Hotel, Muscat, bringing together educators, researchers, and students to exchange ideas on innovative teaching and learning practices. The symposium was chaired by Dr. Nasser bin Abdullah Al-Habsi and Dr. Pankaj B. Pathare, who led the initiative with the aim of promoting active learning approaches and strengthening educational excellence across agriculture, marine sciences, food education, and related disciplines.
The event was officially opened by Prof. Rashid bin Abdullah Al-Yahyai, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, who highlighted the importance of innovative pedagogies in preparing graduates to meet future societal and industry challenges. He emphasised the College's commitment to fostering student-centred learning environments that enhance engagement, critical thinking, and lifelong learning. The symposium attracted more than 70 participants and received approximately 40 abstract submissions from researchers and educators representing institutions in Oman and several other countries. Following peer review, 12 oral presentations and 16 poster presentations were selected for the scientific programme.
According to Dr. Nasser Al-Habsi, the symposium reflects the growing interest among educators in adopting active learning strategies that improve student outcomes and create meaningful learning experiences. Dr. Pankaj B. Pathare noted that the symposium provided an excellent platform for sharing successful educational innovations, building interdisciplinary collaborations, and exploring emerging technologies that support effective teaching and learning.
The programme featured keynote lectures by Prof. Faris Tarlochan (Qatar University), Dr. Behnaz Saboori (SQU), and Dr. Hameed Sulaiman (SQU), who addressed topics including constructive alignment, culturally responsive pedagogy, and metacognitive approaches to active learning.
Participants engaged in lively discussions on artificial intelligence in education, experiential learning, virtual reality, innovative assessment practices, climate-smart agriculture education, veterinary education, marine sciences, and research-based learning approaches.
A highlight of the symposium was the recognition of outstanding contributions through the presentation of Best Oral Presentation Awards and Best Poster Presentation Awards, celebrating excellence in educational innovation and research communication.
The organisers expressed their appreciation to the keynote speakers, scientific committee members, session chairs, support team, sponsors, and participants whose contributions ensured the success of the symposium.
The symposium further reinforced SQU’s role as a leading institution in educational innovation and its commitment to advancing teaching excellence and student success through active learning.