Three Omani youths who did their higher studies in the UK have been conferred with Study UK Alumni Awards 2021-22, according to the officials of the British Council officials.
The Science and Sustainability Award was presented to Dr Lamya al Haj, while Muatasam al Aulaqi was chosen for the Social Action Award. Qais al Tobi bagged the award in the Business and Innovation category.
Dr Al Haj holds a PhD in Structural and Molecular Biology from University College London. She is an executive coach, a researcher on biodiesel alternatives to oil, an associate professor at the Sultan Qaboos University, and a TEDx motivational speaker.
Al Aulaqi graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Chemical Engineering and is the co-founder of NomuHub, a social enterprise that aims to evolve the way people explore the world by introducing the concept of ‘travel with a purpose’ which lies in giving back to the communities through educational projects. The idea has successfully attracted more than 2,000 travellers and built more than 100 classrooms across Zanzibar, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Morocco, giving educational access to primary school kids who did not have access to school due to capacity limitation.
Al Tobi holds an MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation from the University of Essex. Qais has over eight years of experience in innovation, emerging technology, and leading transformational national initiatives and programmes that directly impact youth development, empowerment, and entrepreneurship. He is the founder of a regional e-learning platform called Edlal which has over 260,000 users world-wide and has received His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Award for Excellence in eGovernment as Best SME E-Service.
Speaking to the Observer, Helen Mehta, Country Director at the British Council in Oman, said the Study UK Alumni Awards provide a platform to recognise and celebrate the success of Omani alumni of UK Universities.
In total, 39 participants who made commendable achievements as business professionals, entrepreneurs, and community leaders and their contribution to strengthening ties between the UK and Oman were recognised for their outstanding contribution to society.
The Alumni Awards were developed by the British Council and UK universities and are open to alumni currently residing in any country outside the UK.
Applications were invited from those who have studied in the UK at an officially recognised university at degree level for a minimum of a term or semester, or who have been awarded a full UK degree level qualification or higher, by a UK university within the last 15 years for the three award categories.
The award categories are Science and Sustainability, Social Action, and Business and Innovation. The selection process includes a series of in-depth interviews with a judging panel.
The prestigious international award celebrates UK higher education and the achievements of UK alumni worldwide. Now in its eighth year, the award received more than 1,500 applications from international UK alumni in more than 100 countries, representing more than 140 UK higher education institutions across the UK.
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