Embracing the New Memories of the Cultural Season while Preserving the Old

Rawan Al Nadabi

The University of Nizwa has been commemorating the cultural season since 2005. Every year, the institution strives to reach and realize Oman's aim in its cultural season vision. Students' enthusiasm for sharing their ideas and creative works and putting the phrase into practice abounds during the cultural season. The season lasts for one month and is filled with numerous events, including sporting, artistic, and cultural ones like talks, poetry readings, and college open houses.

Ishraqah is speaking with Mr. Mohammed Al Sharawi, who has been a key witness to the cultural season ever since it began. Al Sharawi has seen the cultural season undergo a substantial change over the years, from tiny modifications like the name of the cultural week to more significant ones like the fundamental shifts in the season's themes and objectives.

Speaking about his experience, Mr. Al Sharawi said, “the cultural season is an extracurricular activity for students as it is an interesting method for the university to reach the community through”. The first experience Mr. Al Sharawi had was in the foundation booth in the accompanied exhibition of the cultural season in 2005, the experience which he explained was instructor-centered in organizing the booth and preparing the games and the activities.  

The cultural season is an extracurricular activity for students as well as an engaging means for the institution to engage the community, according to Mr. Al Sharawi, speaking about his own experiences. Mr. Al Sharawi's first experience was in the foundation booth at the accompanied exhibition of the cultural season in 2005; he explained that this experience was instructor-centered in terms of setting up the booth and arranging the games and activities.

A student activity club called the English Language Bridge was founded in 2009 under the direction of Mr. AL Sharawi at the initiative of German major Hajer Ambu Ali. Since then, the first student-centered events have evolved in the cultural season, moving from being a modest interaction to the event to the crucial role the event is initiated on.

Describing the students' efforts since then until now, Mr. Al Sharawi enthusiastically said, "the students have proven their reliability, they went far and beyond what we have expected". 

"These events provide students with skills necessary for the job market, such as communication skills, 

problem-solving, and adhering to the necessary regulations to reflect their ideas," he added.

According to Mr. Al Sharawi, supervision of student groups is a must experience for developing a good relationship with students and exposing oneself to a direct connection with one’s personality away from the instructor role the students' knowledge one with.