02 May 2012
Muscat: Academic research is the key to cultural development and studies suggest that knowledge, if properly utilised, can maximise the chances of success at all levels. In the Sultanate of Oman, the government has long realised the important role of learning and research in the advancement of the country and in tackling challenges in various sectors. No wonder that the government supports academic research in different institutions.
Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), being the premier academic institution in the Sultanate, has committed itself to delivering quality education.
Incidentally, SQU will celebrate today its 12th anniversary in commemoration of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said's visit to the university. The celebration will be patronised by Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, Social Development Minister.
Professor Amer Al Rawas, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research, spoke about the rapid strides made by the university since its inception 25 years ago.
How do you consider progress in academic research in the university, now celebrating its silver jubilee?
The university's achievements over the last 25 years must be appreciated, given that academic research started virtually when funds were allocated for the first time in 1999.
Two years later, His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund was launched, followed by research partnerships with the UAE university (UAEU) in 2003, and The Research Council's (TRC) grants in 2010.
In 1995, the university started delivering research consultancy and so far we have carried out over 1,400 research projects worth around RO20 million. The university has established nine research centres covering areas of paramount importance to the Sultanate. They concern water, environment, communication and information, oil and gas, marine biotechnology, earthquake monitoring and remote sensing.
Does the university plan to focus more on research or wants to concentrate on teaching and training students to cater the local market?
Stress is on academic research through awareness, establishing centres and laboratories, and recruiting experts. At the moment, the university is embarking on setting its strategic plan until 2025. Accordingly, it has sought opinions of the local community, university, and global experts. The aim is to benefit from those views and engage everyone in drawing up the future plan of this university.
The university is apparently ahead of other academic institutions in the Sultanate when it comes to the volume of research output. Don't you think that the university, being the only government academic institution in Oman, should contribute to their research building? And how do you see the relation between the university and other institutions in the Sultanate and abroad?
SQU has established links with other institutions, as it recognizes its crucial role in paving the way for an academic scholarship tradition which would nurture research and contribute to the progress and development of the Sultanate at all levels. There is mutual cooperation between the university and TRC, which includes funding an SQU chair in desalination and nanotechnology and 22 research projects. In fact, we are proud of this relationship and seek to strengthen it so as to enhance
research in the Sultanate.
SQU has devised its 2009-2013 strategy so as to become one of the top three universities in the region by 2013. How would you see that happening?
All universities seek to enhance their standing, which is quite normal. As far as the SQU is concerned, we have done our best to improve the quality of our graduates at all levels, and I can say with full confidence that SQU is a leading university in the region. This is evident in the quality academic programmes it offers, some of which have received international accreditation.
It is also shown through the recruitment of our graduates in the region-based international companies, employer satisfaction with SQU graduate skills, and quality research output in various scientific fields. Therefore, we are determined to attain the goals at this stage in the life of our university.
Figures of funding and research output suggest differences between the humanities and science-based colleges. How equivalent is the funding for both tracks?
SQU provides financial support to all researchers, both in the humanities and science-based colleges. There are also internal grants, His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund, TRC grants, grants for research partnerships with the UAE university, and external consultancies. The university's internal grants total RO500,000 -- allocated to all colleges based on the number of research projects submitted.
The science-based colleges receive RO75,000 each, while the humanities colleges get RO30,000-45,000 each. The difference is attributable to the additional needs of the science-based colleges for equipment and devices for research purposes.
However, the support provided for humanities colleges meets their demands at this stage, and we are keen to raise it in case they need that. The support from His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund depends on the annual number of projects submitted and has nothing to do with the colleges.
Muscat: Academic research is the key to cultural development and studies suggest that knowledge, if properly utilised, can maximise the chances of success at all levels. In the Sultanate of Oman, the government has long realised the important role of learning and research in the advancement of the country and in tackling challenges in various sectors. No wonder that the government supports academic research in different institutions.
Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), being the premier academic institution in the Sultanate, has committed itself to delivering quality education.
Incidentally, SQU will celebrate today its 12th anniversary in commemoration of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said's visit to the university. The celebration will be patronised by Sheikh Mohammed bin Said Al Kalbani, Social Development Minister.
Professor Amer Al Rawas, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research, spoke about the rapid strides made by the university since its inception 25 years ago.
How do you consider progress in academic research in the university, now celebrating its silver jubilee?
The university's achievements over the last 25 years must be appreciated, given that academic research started virtually when funds were allocated for the first time in 1999.
Two years later, His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund was launched, followed by research partnerships with the UAE university (UAEU) in 2003, and The Research Council's (TRC) grants in 2010.
In 1995, the university started delivering research consultancy and so far we have carried out over 1,400 research projects worth around RO20 million. The university has established nine research centres covering areas of paramount importance to the Sultanate. They concern water, environment, communication and information, oil and gas, marine biotechnology, earthquake monitoring and remote sensing.
Does the university plan to focus more on research or wants to concentrate on teaching and training students to cater the local market?
Stress is on academic research through awareness, establishing centres and laboratories, and recruiting experts. At the moment, the university is embarking on setting its strategic plan until 2025. Accordingly, it has sought opinions of the local community, university, and global experts. The aim is to benefit from those views and engage everyone in drawing up the future plan of this university.
The university is apparently ahead of other academic institutions in the Sultanate when it comes to the volume of research output. Don't you think that the university, being the only government academic institution in Oman, should contribute to their research building? And how do you see the relation between the university and other institutions in the Sultanate and abroad?
SQU has established links with other institutions, as it recognizes its crucial role in paving the way for an academic scholarship tradition which would nurture research and contribute to the progress and development of the Sultanate at all levels. There is mutual cooperation between the university and TRC, which includes funding an SQU chair in desalination and nanotechnology and 22 research projects. In fact, we are proud of this relationship and seek to strengthen it so as to enhance
research in the Sultanate.
SQU has devised its 2009-2013 strategy so as to become one of the top three universities in the region by 2013. How would you see that happening?
All universities seek to enhance their standing, which is quite normal. As far as the SQU is concerned, we have done our best to improve the quality of our graduates at all levels, and I can say with full confidence that SQU is a leading university in the region. This is evident in the quality academic programmes it offers, some of which have received international accreditation.
It is also shown through the recruitment of our graduates in the region-based international companies, employer satisfaction with SQU graduate skills, and quality research output in various scientific fields. Therefore, we are determined to attain the goals at this stage in the life of our university.
Figures of funding and research output suggest differences between the humanities and science-based colleges. How equivalent is the funding for both tracks?
SQU provides financial support to all researchers, both in the humanities and science-based colleges. There are also internal grants, His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund, TRC grants, grants for research partnerships with the UAE university, and external consultancies. The university's internal grants total RO500,000 -- allocated to all colleges based on the number of research projects submitted.
The science-based colleges receive RO75,000 each, while the humanities colleges get RO30,000-45,000 each. The difference is attributable to the additional needs of the science-based colleges for equipment and devices for research purposes.
However, the support provided for humanities colleges meets their demands at this stage, and we are keen to raise it in case they need that. The support from His Majesty's Strategic Research Fund depends on the annual number of projects submitted and has nothing to do with the colleges.
© Times of Oman 2012
