Sunday 14 / June / 2026
Shinas: The activities of the Summer programme for gifted students in North Al Batinah and Musandam governorates kicked off today at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) in Shinas.
Organised by the Directorate General of Education in North Al Batinah Governorate, represented by the Special Education Department, the programme will run until 25 June. The initiative features the participation of gifted students identified through the "Tharwa" program for discovering gifted students, alongside students from the Arab Gifted Initiative.
Hamad Saif Al Maamari, Director of the Special Education Department at the Directorate General of Education in North Al Batinah, explained that the program comes within the Ministry of Education’s ongoing efforts to nurture gifted students and invest in their abilities within specialized enrichment learning environments. These efforts aim to develop the students' cognitive, leadership, and innovative skills, thereby preparing them for active participation in scientific programs and competitions at the local, regional, and international levels.
He added that the programme heavily focuses on developing students' leadership, personal, and social skills; reinforcing national identity and traditional Omani values; preparing students to actively participate in scientific and innovative competitions; cultivating research, inquiry, and scientific experimentation skills and linking theoretical knowledge directly to practical applications and qualitative projects.
To cater to the diverse talents of the participants, the program includes six specialized scientific and training tracks, specifically designed according to the students' inclinations and interests, namely Innovation and Scientific Research; Leadership and Personal Skills Development; Linguistic and Cognitive Skills; Artificial Intelligence and Future Technologies; Cybersecurity and Digital Transformation and Visual Arts and Creative Formation
The implementation of this program aligns with the Ministry of Education's strategic direction to enhance the ecosystem of care for gifted students. By providing qualitative programs that methodically and sustainably develop their abilities, hone their skills, and invest in their potential, the initiative actively supports the building of a generation capable of creativity, innovation, and global competition across various scientific and cognitive fields.
