On 3rd July 2024, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Rizwan, Head of Clinical Psychology, conducted an insightful workshop on Research Methods for Countering Violent Extremism at the Islamic Research Institute (IRI), Shah Faisal Masjid, Islamabad. The workshop was designed for Post-Doctoral Fellows of the Islamic Research Institute, IIUI, and focused on equipping participants with advanced research techniques to address and counter violent extremism effectively. The session discussed applying research methodologies to understand the psychological and social factors contributing to extremism. Dr. Rizwan’s expertise and engaging presentation style made the workshop a highly informative and impactful experience.
Furthermore, the workshop provided a unique opportunity for the Post-Doctoral Fellows to present their ongoing research projects and get feedback from Dr. Rizwan and other attending scholars. This interactive session allowed for a rich exchange of ideas, fostering a collaborative academic environment. The active participation of the audience, comprising faculty members from universities across Pakistan, was particularly noteworthy, as it demonstrated their engagement and interest in the topic, enhancing the overall learning experience. The event was lauded for its academic rigor and relevance, making it a significant contribution to the ongoing efforts to understand and mitigate violent extremism through research and scholarly discourse.
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NUMS Department of Psychology has taken an initiative to address the socio- emotional and wellbeing needs of vulnerable communities in surroundings areas of PWD targeting institutes including orphanage also which are meeting both basic necessities and educational expenses of their children.
Special teams comprising students of NUMS Department of Psychology, led by its Assistant Professor Dr. Sadia Mushtaq, were trained in effective communication and potent demeanor skills before the start of this training session. They were divided into three groups which visited two orphanages for five days and interacted with children on how to strengthen themselves emotionally. The orphanages were reluctant to disclose their identity for reasons of privacy. The activities were conducted to develop their socioemotional, moral and creativity skills.
NUMS Psychology Department organized these visits to give its students, studying Social Work and community development, an idea of community development, and what would be the significance of their role in future in this regard.
The activities included puppet show and puppet making, storytelling, painting and drawing. The children of orphanages were asked to write letters to their friends and teachers and express their love and significance which would develop their vocabulary to expressive their emotions and feelings. To boost the creativity skills, they were involved in puppet making, drawing and paintings. The children were excited to participate in the puppet show. Puppet show and storytelling are a healthy and powerful teaching tools to develop social and emotional strengths of the children. This activity was found very valuable and incredible as the children were enthusiastic. The Department of Psychology would continue these initiatives so that it could contribute to community building.
These training sessions were conducted in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goals(SDG)6, SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), SDG 4 (Quality education) and 10: Reduced Inequalities. NUMS department of Psychology aims to continue conducting such training sessions in various schools in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
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