Economist highlights need to develop creative, critical thinking skills in students

Pakistan Arts Society - Qatar (PAS-Q) and Pak Shama School (PSS) recently collaborated to host an educational lecture titled 'Developing creative and critical thinking in students' for the teachers of the school and a general audience at the institution’s main campus in Mesaimeer. Senior PSS faculty members, and a number of guests from academia and different walks of life attended.
The lecture was delivered by Dr Faisal Hanif, an economist, researcher, finance expert, and litterateur. He has more than two decades of experience in senior finance leadership roles in the energy and financial sectors complemented by professional qualifications in software engineering and academic studies in finance and management.
Dr Hanif earned his PhD in Banking and Economics from the UK. He also holds an MBA from Germany. He is currently the Head of Treasury at a group of companies in energy sector in Qatar.
Dr Hanif is a published author and literary critic in both Urdu and English languages. He is the interpreter and commentator of nineteenth-century Persian and Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib’s poetic and philosophical work. He is the chairman of Bazm-e-Urdu Qatar (est. 1959) the oldest literary organisation in Qatar, the founder of Iqbal Academy Middle East in affiliation with Iqbal Academy Scandinavia, Denmark, founder of Guzergah-e-Khayal Forum to promote classical literature, and founding president of first Urdu Toastmasters Club GK Toastmasters, in Qatar.
The guest speaker was welcomed by PSS president M A Shahid, principal Nabila Kaukab, PAS-Q president Abrar Hussain, vice president Tahir Dilawar Hussain and general secretary Adeel Akbar along with school academics and PAS-Q members.
Akbar commenced the programme by inviting the guest speaker onto the stage. Hussain, in his welcome address, emphasised the significance of the lecture’s theme and its importance for teachers and students in addition to the application of critical thinking in real-life situations and the decision-making process.
The first segment was conducted by PSS English teacher Aiman Zeb by introducing and briefly interviewing the guest speaker. Dr Hanif provided his expert views on the process of developing creativity and critical thinking for individuals and particularly for school students. He equated critical thinking to thinking with clarity in the context of understanding complex economic, social, and ethical issues.
He emphasised the necessity of implementing classroom strategies to encourage students to apply reason and logic in their day to day activities and focus on alternative arguments when evaluating a claim.
Dr Hanif spoke on the challenges with the process of developing critical thinking. Whilst highlighting the importance of sensibilities based on emotion, intuition, and common sense, he suggested not to throw away said sensibilities rather put them under the microscope of reason to remove subjectivity.
He also discussed the barriers to critical thinking such as bias, egocentrism, provincialism, relativistic thinking, stereotyping, unwarranted assumptions, selective perception, overpowering emotions, and distrust in reason. He provided real-world examples and the techniques of elimination of the barriers to critical thinking and from his personal experiences and observations.
The guest speaker further recommended every student to take some basic philosophy courses as this will enable them to strengthen their ability to learn and evaluate problems using detailed assessment and formulate a fine judgement. The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer session.
Dr Hanif added that teachers should equip students at an early age with the tools for critical thinking including skepticism and objectivity. Children must be taught that learning is not gathering information rather it is eliminating assumptions.
In response to a question on the role of parents, he said that parents are the child’s teacher at home and therefore they assume greater responsibility to ensure that they educate children on how critical thinking skills can help them succeed in studies, career, and life by making right decisions and informed choices.
Dr Hanif concluded the lecture by pointing out the significance of the use of technology in the classroom and at home to accelerate academic progress and make learning more interesting. Kaukab thanked Dr Hanif for the distinguished lecture, and PAS-Q for organising the knowledge-sharing talk for the teachers of the institution.
Anwar Ali Rana, a community member, proposed a vote of thanks.