First Lady: Innovation Must Serve People to Be Truly Meaningful

First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has said true innovation begins where knowledge meets curiosity and becomes meaningful only when it serves people.

She made the remarks on Tuesday as the guest of honour at the inauguration of the ninth Theveli International Conference 2026, held at the Maldives National University (MNU).

Speaking at the conference, the First Lady said technologies such as artificial intelligence have opened up unprecedented possibilities, but innovation should not be pursued as an end in itself. She said the true measure of technology is not simply whether it can be developed, but who benefits from it.

She noted that innovation becomes transformative when curiosity is directed towards addressing challenges in areas such as education, healthcare and livelihoods across the Maldives.

The First Lady also stressed that innovation must be inclusive to thrive, calling on women and girls to take their place in science and technology. She said innovation has no gender and that women and girls should not need permission to play a role in shaping the future.

Highlighting the role of young people as the architects of tomorrow, she said education must foster creativity and critical thinking. She encouraged students to become creators rather than passive consumers of technology, while urging educational institutions to reward curiosity and build students’ confidence to experiment, take risks and learn from failure.

She also called on researchers to take their work beyond academic institutions and address real-world challenges, saying the value of research is ultimately reflected in the lives it improves.

The First Lady further called for stronger collaboration between academia, policymakers and industry to ensure that new ideas and research reach the communities they are intended to serve.

Concluding her remarks, she expressed confidence that the conference would help establish lasting partnerships and inspire homegrown innovation across the Maldives.

The First Lady also presented the Theveli 2026 awards to the recipients during the event.

The conference, organised by MNU under the theme “Transformative Innovation in the 21st Century: Science, Technology, and Society,” brought together Cabinet ministers, the Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of MNU, foreign dignitaries, academics, researchers and students.