The Department of Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education of UAE University organized the ninth Language Forum on Wednesday, April 27^th, 2016, at the Hilton Hotel in Al Ain.   The theme was "Reading and Innovation" and presiding was Dr. Bernard Oliver, Dean of the College.  Also in attendance were specialist speakers, faculty members and College of Education family members along with a large group of public and private school teachers.

Dr. Bernard Olivier welcomed the speakers and participants and stressed the keenness of the national university to enhance the Year of Reading Initiative launched by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of UAE.  His goal is to enrich the knowledge and culture in the community thereby complementing the "Innovation" initiative launched by His Highness last year.  Both of these are among a series of them that contribute to the building of the UAE economy in the world of knowledge and economy.

Dr. Oliver said: "Reading is an active building mental process that explains the symbols that the reader receives through the senses.  As a result of educational research in this area the concept of reading has changed to a process designed to understand these symbols and then develop them to interact with the reader through text. He stressed that innovation is the future medium through which new ideas across multiple mediums are disseminated, most notably generating innovative ideas through conscious creative reading."

The events of the Forum included a series of meetings and specialized workshops which focused on new trends in education and the development of innovation via reading for life in both Arabic and English.  The events also look to build creative reading activities and applications and implement them in the learning environment, thereby enriching reading stories in the development of innovative thinking skills.

Experts and leaders in the community stressed through this forum that choosing appropriate reading materials for all segments of the society, especially children and learners, will develop reading capabilities and a propensity towards creativity and innovation.

At the end of the sessions, all participants were honored with certificates and commemorative shields. It was emphasized that UAE University’s vision of leadership and excellence in teaching Arabic language curricula requires holding such meetings periodically to reinforce language issues and their importance in building the innovative approach for education.