The advancement of nations is linked to their programmes and projects targetting human development, primarily in-demand technological and engineering skills, said Public Authority for Applied Education and Training chief Ahmad Al-Athari Monday. Developed nations have acknowledged the importance of the skills of their students and have adopted exceptional educational projects such as STEAM, he said. Al-Athari was speaking at the launch of a four-day forum designed to promote STEAM, an abbreviation for science, technology engineering, arts and mathematics. The US-founded educational programme, which describes itself as aiming to bring functional literacy to all, also promotes bridging the gap between business and educational goals to create a more productive and sustainable global culture based on teamwork, according to its website. PAAET, which is responsible for public practical diploma colleges in Kuwait, has brought the STEAM on board in collaboration with the local Ebn Al-Haitham In-Service Training Center. Meanwhile, Abdulaziz Al-Najjar, who is Dean of the College of Technological Studies, which operates under the umbrella of PAAET, said that the college has organised several workshops and forums which target the development of education, including STEAM. By adopting, it has become the first college in Kuwait to do so, he added, noting to the programme''''s positives in providing a free platform through which teacher can interact with pupil, thus encouraging creativity and innovation