Villa College's Faculty of Shariah and Law recently hosted a session on Civic Education and Political Participation at the QI Campus, co-organised with the Maldives Local Councils Association and supported through international partnerships with the UNDP and Australian Aid. The event brought together academic and institutional perspectives to examine how local governance operates in the Maldives and what role civic participation plays in strengthening it.

The session, facilitated by Aiman Rasheedh and Sana Farooq from the Maldives Local Councils Association and moderated by Amish Abdullah, Senior Lecturer at Villa College, guided students through the mechanisms of decentralisation and the history of local administration in the country. Rather than presenting governance as an abstract concept, the discussion focused on the structural realities of how decisions are made at the local level, offering students a practical understanding of the systems they may one day work within or seek to improve. The emphasis on transparent and responsive administration provided a grounding framework, illustrating that effective governance depends not only on institutional design but on the willingness of citizens to engage with it.

The collaboration between Villa College, a national councils association, and international development partners reflects a model of educational programming that draws on multiple areas of expertise. Each partner brought a distinct perspective: the MLCA contributed frontline knowledge of council operations, while international support from the UNDP and Australian Aid situated the discussion within broader development frameworks, including the principles behind Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions and Sustainable Cities and Communities. For students in law and shariah studies, this exposure to the intersection of policy, development, and local practice offers a dimension of learning that purely theoretical instruction does not easily replicate.

The session represents a broader institutional approach at Villa College, one that positions civic literacy as a core component of professional readiness. Graduates entering legal, political, or public service careers will encounter governance challenges that require both technical knowledge and an understanding of community dynamics. By creating structured opportunities for students to engage with practitioners and examine real governance processes, the Faculty of Shariah and Law is working to ensure that academic preparation translates into the kind of informed, responsible participation that effective public administration demands.