Report of International Webinar

Report of International Webinar

Title: Developing Happiness Skills through Positive Education

Date:27th August 2024

Venue & Time: I Block Auditorium 1:00 pm

Speaker of the Session: Ms. Viivi Pentikainen, Founder, CEO and Creative Director, Positive Education Ltd., Finland

Participants: Students (72) of School of Education and Humanities, MRU

Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Eram Aziz

School of Education and Humanities organised an International Webinar on the theme “Developing Happiness Skills through Positive Education” on 27th August 2024, time 1:00 pm-2:30 pm for the students of the department. The theme, "Developing Happiness Skills Through Positive Education" focused on exploring the integration of happiness and well-being into educational systems and focussed on strategies and practices that foster happiness through positive education.

Following were the objectives of the workshop:

1.  a) To provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of happiness as a teachable skill
2. b) To demonstrate how mindfulness and positive thinking can be integrated into daily educational practices
3. c) To explore practical strategies for incorporating happiness and well-being into the existing curriculum
4.  d) To encourage personal growth through the practice of gratitude, empathy, and self-compassion

The event commenced with a warm welcome from Dr. Eram Aziz, Assistant Professor, School of Education and Humanities, Manav Rachna University, who emphasized the importance of cultivating happiness as a critical skill in education. She warmly welcomed all the participants and the distinguished resource person Ms. Viivi Pentikainen, Founder, CEO and Creative Director, Positive Education Ltd., Finland, who highlighted the growing recognition of positive education, which aims to equip students not just with academic knowledge but also with emotional and social skills that contribute to lifelong happiness. She gave a brief introductory presentation on the Finnish Education System to begin with and spoke about the strengths of its education system in general. Ms. Viivi delivered an insightful address on the science of happiness. She highlighted as to how happiness is not merely a byproduct of success but a skill that can be developed through intentional practices. She focussed on understanding the concept of happiness in education so as to explore the relationship between happiness, well-being, and educational outcomes. She specifically talked about promoting emotional resilience and how mindfulness and positive thinking can be integrated into daily educational practices. Her talk also included integrating positive education into the curriculum, inspiring educators to create a school culture that prioritizes happiness and well-being and encouraging personal growth through the practice of gratitude, empathy, and self-compassion.

A question-and-answer session was held to address participants' queries and concerns where many insightful questions were posed by the B Ed students and the resource person gave satisfactory explanations and presented her insights on them.

The event concluded with closing remarks from Prof. (Dr.) Rashee Singh, Head, Department of Education and Humanities, Manav Rachna University, who presented the vote of thanks to the speaker and expressed her immense gratitude for taking the session and further reiterated the significance of positive education in developing well-rounded individuals capable of leading fulfilling lives. Participants left with a renewed commitment to implementing the strategies discussed and promoting happiness as a fundamental educational goal.

The workshop concluded with a summary of the key takeaways and a reminder to implement the strategies learned.

The workshop received positive feedback regarding the engaging and interactive nature of the session.