The President’s Office conducted the third lecture of the Executive Development Program (EDP) 2025–2027 this afternoon at the Maldives National University (MNU) Auditorium. The session drew a large audience comprising participants from various Government ministries and institutions.
The lecture was delivered by Mohamed Misthoh, who spoke on the topic “Critical Thinking and Problem Solving.” In his lecture, Misthoh traced the origins of critical thinking to the time of Prophet Mohamed (PBUH), underscoring the value of reflection and thoughtful reasoning as essential elements of leadership and faith.
Throughout the session, he emphasised the importance of cultivating critical thinking skills and introduced six key strategies: encouraging task conflict, seeking second opinions, fostering curiosity, thinking laterally, identifying patterns, and considering multiple perspectives.
He further highlighted the need to break free from routine thinking patterns, prioritising time for reflection, seeking advice from others, and committing to continuous learning through reading and self-development. He concluded the session by reminding participants that the mind, like any skill, requires consistent practice to grow and strengthen.
The EDP is an initiative led by the Political Appointees Performance Management (PAPM) Unit at the Political Affairs Office (PAO), in collaboration with the Civil Service Training Institute (CSTI) and the Foreign Service Institute of Maldives (FOSIM).