Fostering students’ talents is an important task that universities perform. Universities have become fertile grounds for exploring talent, grooming it and putting it to the best service of society.
This, however, is not an easy thing to do, particularly if we do not have a clear national strategy aiming at attending to the personality of each student and strengthening it in ways that helps the students think with full freedom. It is important to have institutions that support smart students in schools and universities.
Nurturing students’ talents makes it necessary for everybody to cooperate to usher in a new generation capable of interacting at every level on political, scientific and intellectual issues, both inside and outside the country.
Promoting students’ spirit
This can be done by encouraging the students to value teamwork, stimulating spiritual and moral values in them, and furthering the principles of freedom and democracy in their minds. The important issues of citizenship and human rights must be at the core of all this.
Advancing all these in students’ personalities aims, at the end of the day, to help the students translate these values and principles into greater affiliation and loyalty to their country. They must learn how to use these principles to benefit their universities and also sharpen their innovative skills.
Universities must beef up their activities, whether these are sporting, social, cultural, political or artistic. Scholars and researchers are united in their belief that innovation and talent have mental, physical, emotional and social aspects to them.
It is important for us to look after innovative and talented students in universities across our country. These universities buzz with such students. In so doing, we will be serving the best interests of our country.
Helping students build their capabilities
Students must be encouraged to think with full freedom and in ways that allow them to express their opinions and accept those of others in an atmosphere of transparency and honesty. This will ultimately prove a great boon to educational institutions and help them move forward.
This will happen by adopting up-to-date programmes aimed at fully utilising the mental, emotional and physical skills of talented students. Easing students’ access to knowledge so that they can interact with everyone in society is of utmost importance in this regard.
We must be aware of the fact that overlooking talent in our students will cost us dearly in the future. By so doing, we are simply destroying the future of these students.
Charting strategies
This whole argument is about looking after our gifted students by applying long-term strategies, including the following:
First, well-calculated strategic planning in pre-university education, university education, and post-university education
Second, giving our students the chance to be independent and be different, while paying special attention to students with special needs
Third, creating institutions that offer special care to bright students in schools and universities.
Fourth, providing moral and financial support to outstanding students in schools and colleges.
Fifth, benefiting from international experience in the field of student programmes, with the aim of diversifying our experience and enriching it.
Sixth, formulating new educational policies and introducing advanced methods in nurturing talented students in our schools and universities.
To sum up, I need to underline the importance of technological activities, which keep most of our students riveted. We need to encourage more students to participate in these and motivate outstanding students.
American inventor Thomas Edison said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration”. And Greek philosopher Plato said, “Great talent is often buried”.
