November 18th, 2015: Dr. Efthymios Papatzikis, professor of educational neuroscience at Canadian University Dubai (CUD), has been spreading the word about the power of music during recent presentations at two Dubai schools.
Dr. Papatzikis first spoke to parents of children at Oasis School Dubai about the importance and impact of early years music education on the development of the brain. Staff and parents at the School, which provides support to several students with special educational needs, particularly drew upon the expertise of Dr. Papatzikis in relation to music therapy.
During the talk he spoke about how music can affect the brain in the early years and how it can be used at home and in other informal educational settings to support cognitive development. He also spoke about the potential to establish a unique program and related lab facilities for brain and music research.
Dr. Papatzikis went on to visit the Dubai English Speaking College (DESC), to talk to sixth form students about his career in music and how he transitioned into the world of academia, ultimately drawing upon his musical talents to embark upon a pioneering research agenda.
In the presentation, which was part of DESC’s Spotlight on Careers program, Dr. Papatzikis revealed how, as a career violinist, he was fascinated by how music can play such an important part in our lives, and so set out to explore how it might affect neurobehavioral development in our early years, leading him to become involved in research and training collaborations all around the world.
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