As institutions worldwide race to embrace technological advancement and academic excellence, a fundamental question emerges: ‘Is the Moral Dimension of Education Missing?’ This pressing question took centre stage at IQRA University’s two-day ‘International Conference on ‘Revolutionizing Higher Education (ICRHE 2024),’ recently held at Mini Auditorium, EDC Campus on November 29, 2024.
Being mainly organized by the Department of Education, the conference featured an interesting line-up of keynote sessions and paper presentations.
Setting the Stage: The Critical Need for Moral Dimensions
As universities worldwide churn out technically proficient graduates, the fundamental question remains: Are we producing morally conscious leaders capable of steering society toward a better future?
Vice Chancellor, Iqra University, Prof. Dr. Nassar Ikram, in his compelling welcome address, expressed this concern as follows;
“Education is not solely about imparting knowledge. It’s about shaping individuals to contribute positively to society. Moral education instils values like integrity and social responsibility, which are essential for creating ethical leaders and responsible citizens.”
Dr. Ikram further elaborated on four crucial pillars: ethical leadership development, social cohesion, sustainability and responsibility, and the cultivation of critical thinking with empathy. His vision underscored the transformative role universities must play in nurturing not just skilled professionals, but conscientious citizens.
Adding her views on the subject, Conference Chair, Prof. Dr. Razia Fakir Mohammad shared,
“Moral education is a missing dimension in the current scenario, and it needs to be given large space in the higher education curriculum if it is to develop sustainable learners. The key goal of higher education is to equip youth with the knowledge, skills, moral values, and positive attitudes necessary to live productive lives, and make wise decisions.” And we couldn’t agree more to it.
The Multifaceted Approach to Moral Education
The conference featured thought-provoking keynote sessions that approached the moral dimension of education from diverse perspectives. Honorary Research Fellow and Professor Emeritus – Linacre College, University of Oxford, UK, Prof. John Mason delivered a presentation on the moral dimensions of teaching, offering a fresh perspective on attention and highlighting the connection between awareness and ethical decision-making. He opined,
“Being aware of the form and focus of your own attention is a prelude to and an enabler of being aware of ethical and moral choices, which in turn influence the learners for whom you have the responsibility of teaching.”
Director of Research and Professor in Early Modern Literature, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK, Prof. Katherine Craik spoke about how literature can contribute to moral education while Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Interim) Undergraduate Education and Accreditation – Habib University, Dr. Shah Jamal Alam shared his views about the necessity of thoughtful self-cultivation in ethically-grounded education.
The discourse took an interesting turn during the panel discussion, where experts hailing from various organizations, explored various facets of moral education implementation, emphasizing upon curriculum reform, teacher education enhancement, and the integration of moral values into digital learning environments. Moderated by Dean Faculty of Business Administration, Prof. Dr. Zaki Rashdi, the session included the following panelists:
1. Dr. Yasira Waqar – Associate Professor and Dean School of Social Sciences and Humanities – UMT
2. Mr. Abid Gill – Deputy Chief Advisor, Advancing Quality Alternative Learning (AQAL) Project – JICA
3. Dr. Shahnawaz Adil – Director Academics, Advanced Studies, and Research – Iqra University
4. Ms. Rana Hussain – Principal, Ziauddin College of Education – Ziauddin University
5. Dr. Rabia Noman – Director B.Ed. Program & Faculty – AKU IED
6. Mr. Ali Nadeem Sipra – General Manager, Research, Evaluation & Learning-Research & Knowledge Sharing – TCF
7. Prof. Dr Asif Ali – Mehran University of Engineering and Technology Hyderabad
The event was graced by the presence of Vice Chancellor, Salim Habib University, Prof. Irfan Hyder who found the sessions to be remarkable. Adding his own perspective regarding the fundamental role universities must play with reference to ensuring moral dimension of education, he said,
“In today’s time, in very few universities, we have the permission to tell the difference between right and wrong. But that’s what we need to do. We need to make our students learn how to discern between true and false.”
The event also featured paper presentations revolving around a spectrum of topics related to understanding and reviving moral education.
The Way Forward
The conference concluded with a clear consensus: moral education isn’t just a missing dimension – it’s an essential component that must be integrated into higher education. Moreover, universities must rise to the challenge of producing not just successful professionals, but ethical leaders who know how to balance academic excellence with moral development, technical expertise with ethical consciousness, and individual success with societal responsibility.
