On May 16, 2023, the Staff Development Committee organized a workshop focused on critical and creative thinking that was held in the multi-purpose hall. In its continuing effort to enhance the analytical and innovative capacities of the UTAS-Salalah academic staff members. Aimed to enrich the teaching staff with essential skills to support them in the teaching and learning process.

The workshop speaker was Mr. Neil Raymond Saletrero, Head of Section in Accounting from the College of Economics and Business Administration. Mr. Neil began the workshop by emphasizing that the biggest challenge in teaching is getting the attention and interest of students, and that the academe at this time and age is dealing with visual learners, who are living in a fast-paced and rapidly evolving technology driven world. Hence, it is necessary for teachers to be creative and critical in their approach in order to keep up with the current brand of learners. He explained that in order for teachers to maximize their creative potential they need to be equipped with ideas, skills and experiences by collecting and connecting with different “dots” or a diverse type of individuals that can help them nurture their capabilities. He explained further that critical thinking enables teachers and students alike to evaluate information objectively, analyze complex situations and make informed decisions. He emphasized that the role of teachers should be to teach students “how to think” and not on “what to think”. 

Actual examples and applications of creative and critical thinking abilities were presented in the workshop. The workshop was attended by staff members coming from the three different academic departments of the university, IT, Business and Engineering respectively.