In keeping with the state’s directive to make 2016
a “Year of Reading,” the Reading Committee, in collaboration with the Office of
College Activities and Community Support at the United Arab Emirates
University (UAEU), recently hosted a student symposium, “Student’s expectations about
the future of reading.”
Several members of the faculty, as well as a large
portion of students, attended the event.
The first day of the event centered around the future of
reading and the usefulness of partnerships and events hosted by UAEU.
“I am very happy with these events that go straight to the
heart of reading … my vision of the future of reading is optimistic and bright
after the Year of Reading 2016,” student Jawaher Al Hassani said.
She also presented the “My university book is
in my future kids’ library” initiative. The initiative asks for all former
university students to donate their used books back to the library so knowledge
and the love of reading can be passed from one generation to the next.
A second student, Amnah Al Zyoudi, pointed out the
difference between those who read and those who do not.
“The reader
is an innovative leader and a visionary … readers are the future leaders,” Al
Zyoudi said.
Al
Zyoudi also highlighted the importance of a book’s contents and how when the
reader is interested in the book, the knowledge is passed on to the reader so
much more easily.
Ibrahim Al Baloushi, a third student at the event, commented
on how reading since childhood has helped him build character and imagination.
“Reading is the basis of a renaissance of ideas, and through it we protect the
communities from alien ideas,” Al Baloushi said.
The two-day event concluded with a presentation on the
future of reading. An idea was proposed from the students of the Department of
Geography to incorporate a library into each department of the college,
allowing students to make better use of free time and more conveniently share
ideas. This idea falls in line with the large amount of funding that has been
dedicated to making learning more easily available to all students.
