Wednesday 10 / June / 2026
Muscat: The Ministry of Education, in cooperation with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), organised a workshop on Wednesday titled “Supporting Social Innovation in Learning Cities.”
The event was held under the auspices of Dr. Intisar Abdullah Ambusaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Education for Supportive Educational Programmes and Vice Chairperson of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science.
The workshop aimed to achieve several key objectives, namely raising awareness about the concept of social innovation and its vital role in local community development; review pioneering practices and global experiences in the field of sustainable community learning; empower participants to design innovative initiatives and projects that address pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges and strengthen partnerships across various sectors involved in education and community development.
In his address, Dr. Mahmoud Abdullah Al Abri, Secretary-General of Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, emphasised the importance of elevating learning cities into active platforms that support lifelong learning and sustainable development amidst rapid global transformations.
He pointed out that the inclusion of the Wilayats of Muscat, Sur, and Nizwa into the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) represents a significant milestone.
This achievement directly reflects the Sultanate of Oman’s commitment to building a knowledge-based society capable of innovation and active participation in development, in strict alignment with the targets of Oman Vision 2040.
Al Abri added that social innovation serves as a crucial mechanism for transforming societal obstacles into creative developmental opportunities.
He called for the ongoing building of national capacities, the exchange of expertise, and the strengthening of domestic and international partnerships to elevate the readiness of Omani learning cities to compete for prestigious accolades, such as the UNESCO Learning Cities Award.
For her part, Dr. Aisha Salim Al Harthy, head of the research team for the project supporting social innovation in Omani learning cities at Sultan Qaboos University, noted that social innovation has become an urgent necessity.
It functions as an approach that fosters sustainable solutions derived directly from community needs, driven by a collaborative partnership between academia, government, the private sector, and civil society.
The convening of this workshop comes within the framework of the Sultanate of Oman’s strategic efforts to build resilient, knowledge-driven societies capable of navigating modern socio-economic shifts.
The event was attended by heads and representatives of the Omani cities registered in the UNESCO network, alongside college deans from Sultan Qaboos University, academics, educational planners, and professionals specialised in urban and municipal planning. -ONA
