Muscat, Sultanate of Oman – The first in-person teaching week of the WIDE Programme is currently underway at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat. The programme is titled:
“Digitally Enabled Nursing Students for an Inclusive, Compassionate, and Nursing Care Provision”.
Strongly supported by the Rector of the University of Parma, Prof. Paolo Martelli, the programme aims to develop advanced skills in the digitalization of nursing care through a collaborative learning experience involving nursing students from the University of Parma and their counterparts at Sultan Qaboos University. The project, coordinated by Prof. Antonio Bonacaro and Prof. Maryam Al Harrasi, is part of the broader initiatives for the internationalization of nursing education.
This intensive week features interactive group activities, where Italian and Omani students work together to explore digital technologies applied to nursing care, with a particular focus on chronic disease management in community and rural settings. The programme stands out for its multicultural and interfaith approach, offering students a unique international learning experience based on knowledge exchange and best practice sharing.
Beyond classroom activities, students have participated in educational visits, including an excursion to the Independent Learning Center, where they had the opportunity to experience advanced augmented, mixed, and extended reality technologies, which hold significant potential for patient education and healthcare training. A highlight of the week was also the visit to the Oncology Innovation and Research Center, where digital technologies are seamlessly integrated into care pathways, ensuring compassionate and high-quality treatments for patients.
A particularly significant moment was the meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Muscat, Pierluigi D’Elia, during which discussions focused on potential academic cooperation between the two universities and the support opportunities provided by the Italian diplomatic corps to strengthen joint teaching and research activities.
Prof. Antonio Bonacaro emphasized the importance of this initiative, stating:
“This project is one of the many opportunities offered to nursing students to broaden their horizons in a multicultural and interfaith perspective. The integration of digital technologies in nursing care, combined with a compassionate and competent approach, enhances the role of nurses in responding professionally and humanely to diverse healthcare needs.”
Through this initiative, the University of Parma continues to strengthen its commitment to international nursing education, promoting projects that combine technological innovation and human values for more effective and inclusive healthcare.
