In 2024, the College hosted over 30 documented public events, including major national conferences, international webinars, student-led exhibitions, and targeted community outreach programs. These initiatives engaged a diverse array of stakeholders, including the academic community, legal professionals, government agencies, local NGOs, and the general public.
By consolidating resources into high-level initiatives—such as hosting inaugural international conferences, running sustained Legal Aid Camps, and organizing national exhibitions—Ƶ maximized its influence, shifting from simple knowledge dissemination to becoming a catalyst for research, policy dialogue, and targeted community justice. This strategy ensured that each event contributed meaningfully to national capacity building and intellectual discourse.
The impact of Ƶ’s public events and lifelong learning portfolio scaled significantly in 2024, driven by strategic shifts that prioritized depth of engagement and quality of output.
Transition to Research Leadership: The most notable change was the College's shift from hosting informative speaker sessions to organizing major national and international academic forums. The highest-profile event evolved from a Public Lecture in 2023 to the International Conference on Sustainable Materials & Advances in Renewable Technologies (SMART'24) and the International Conference on "Waves of Change" in 2024. This change fundamentally moved the institutional focus from knowledge dissemination to knowledge creation and global partnership. The introduction of the First Research Poster Fair further cemented this institutional commitment to research.
Institutionalizing Outreach: The College scaled the impact of its legal and community focus by moving from an introductory service to dedicated, focused campaigns. While 2023 successfully introduced services like the Legal Aid Clinic, 2024 saw the institutionalization of these services. The Faculty of Shariah and Law (FSL) moved from a single clinic at an Open Day to running sustained, themed Legal Aid Camps (e.g., Domestic Violence, Migrant Workers) and specialized forums on women's rights and justice, ensuring continuous and targeted community support.
Faculty Broadening and Deepening: The event portfolio achieved genuine diversification across campus. The event portfolio was distributed across more faculties (e.g., FET, FHS, VCLGC). This broadened institutional participation introduced new high-impact events like the First Engineering Exhibition and the Symposium on Precision Medicine, reflecting a campus-wide commitment to community and lifelong learning beyond core business subjects.
Elevating Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Momentum in entrepreneurship was maintained but evolved with a greater focus on practical skill-building and innovation showcases. Initiatives included the Kickstart Boot Camp, a Panel Discussion on Entrepreneurial Education, and the Idea Battle.
Expanding Creative Arts and STEM Showcases: The public platform for academic achievement expanded, with the Engineering Capstone Exhibition being elevated to the First Engineering Exhibition (National Level), and the introduction of new creative disciplines like the Interior Architecture Exhibition.
This qualitative scaling—characterized by deeper specialization, stronger cross-institutional collaboration, and the move to high-impact international forums—demonstrated a clear strategic success in maximizing the College's influence on public discourse and community capacity building in 2024.
In 2024, Ƶ dedicated its resources to hosting and initiating a suite of high-profile, high-impact events designed to advance national research, foster policy dialogue, and provide essential community services. Crucially, all the public event detailed below was offered free-of-charge to the general public, underscoring the College's dedication to open access and its commitment to SDG 4: Quality Education by democratizing knowledge.
Ƶ solidified its position as a leading venue for academic research and high-level policy dialogue in the Maldives by successfully initiating and hosting several major conferences. This represents a foundational shift towards knowledge creation and global partnership.
The College hosted the inaugural International Conference on Sustainable Materials & Advances in Renewable Technologies (SMART’24) in July. This landmark event focused on critical areas of SDG 7, 9, 13, and 17 by promoting research on climate change and green innovation in collaboration with international partners.

The Faculty of Shariah and Law (FSL) inaugurated the International Conference on “Waves of Change: Nurturing Ocean Resilience and Charting Sustainable Futures” in December. This initiative directly addressed pressing national and global issues related to SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

Providing essential platforms for applied learning and innovation, the Faculty of Engineering and Technology (FET) hosted the country’s First Engineering Exhibition, and the Faculty of Educational Studies (FES) hosted the Both events were crucial in showcasing student and academic innovation findings, contributing to SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).
Law and Community Justice Outreach:
The Faculty of Shariah and Law (FSL) maintained a robust commitment to community empowerment and legal outreach, strongly supporting SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) through sustained campaigns.
Legal Aid Camps: FSL conducted critical community engagement through focused on specific vulnerabilities, including in collaboration with Transparency Maldives. This represents the institutionalization of continuous community support.

Gender and Justice Forums: The College amplified discussions on gender justice and legal reform by hosting the Forum for Women in Law and co-organizing the
Community Education: FSL also collaborated with organizations like Moms Aid to deliver sessions focused on blending legal, psychological, and community support through the campaign, covering topics like the psychological aspects of parenting.

A diverse portfolio of events targeted critical skills development, mental health awareness, and career readiness for youth and the wider public.
Mental Health Dialogues: Ƶ facilitated a high-profile and hosted a which included therapeutic community sessions. Furthermore, the VCare Counselling and Psychotherapy Centre held special awareness sessions in connection with VCare Day and Mental Health Day.
The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) demonstrated a comprehensive focus on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) through diverse initiatives. These included hosting a Symposium on Precision Medicine and conducting a major Health Outreach Programme in collaboration with Auburn University and the Villa Foundation. Highlighting this commitment, Dr. Rayya A. Saadiq, a distinguished consultant from Mayo Clinic, USA, led an engaging , sparking thought-provoking conversations vital for community well-being. Furthermore, the College extended its services directly to the public by conducting a and participating in a , where it served 70 participants in collaboration with the Mission for Migrant Workers.

Career and Entrepreneurship: The College actively promoted early-stage career readiness and economic growth (SDG 8) through multiple Career Guidance Sessions conducted for students in various atolls and the inspiring Kickstart Weekend Boot Camp for future entrepreneurs.
Skills Showcases: The Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) hosted Spectrum 2024, a high-visibility event that successfully showcased student achievements and skills across various disciplines.
Through these activities, Ƶ successfully executed a strategic qualitative leap in its public events, prioritizing the scale and depth of engagement. This shift was demonstrated through the institutional transition from simple informative sessions to hosting high-impact International Academic Conferences and establishing sustained, free Legal Aid Campaigns and specialized health dialogues, reinforcing the College's commitment to SDG 4. Ultimately, the 2024 portfolio positioned Ƶ as a vital national hub for knowledge creation, policy discourse, and community service, maximizing its influence on civic well-being across the Maldives.