A'Seeb:Sultan Qaboos University: The launch forum for the awareness campaign "Our Values, Our Digital Identity" was organized today by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU).
According to Oman News Agency, the event was held under the patronage of Sayyid Dr. Fahad Al Julanda Al Said, Vice-Chancellor of the University. The campaign aims to enhance Omani values and identity in the digital environment and promote a culture of digital citizenship. It seeks to raise awareness about the safe and responsible use of technology, protect privacy and digital identity, and address the dangers of cyberbullying, extortion, and harmful content. Additionally, it focuses on developing critical thinking in dealing with digital news and information.
Sheikh Ahmed Ali Al Shehhi, Wali of A'Seeb, highlighted that the campaign is a response to the challenges posed by rapid digital transformations. He stressed that building a conscious personality and enhancing digital citizenship is a shared responsibility among families, schools, universities, and cultural, media, and community institutions.
Dr. Wafa Said Al Maamari, Associate Professor and Head of the Sociology and Social Work Department at the university, emphasized the importance of reinforcing values and ethics among students. This reinforcement is crucial for safeguarding their psychological and intellectual security and preserving cultural identity as well as religious and national values. Dr. Al Maamari highlighted the need to build a generation guided by knowledge and protected by values, capable of distinguishing between beneficial and harmful content in the digital world.
The campaign is based on values such as belonging, safety, credibility, respect, responsibility, dialogue, and balance. It emphasizes that digital citizenship goes beyond proper technology use, aiming to make an individual's digital presence an extension of their values, identity, and responsible behavior in society.
The campaign will run for six months and will be initially implemented in four schools, targeting 500 male and female students and 140 parents through various awareness, interactive, school, and community activities. It is a collaborative effort between the university's Department of Sociology and Social Work, the Parents' Council in the Wilayat of A'Seeb, and the Cultural Citizenship Salon, with participation from relevant authorities and institutions focused on values, identity, upbringing, and digital citizenship.
