Education need to keep pace with global trends

MUSCAT: Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, stressed that access to knowledge creativity requires a quality higher education system that keeps pace with global developments in knowledge and renewable technology, with a focus on scientific research and innovation, which is supported by Oman Vision 2040.

She said this during a talk show ‘With the Youth’ on the Sultanate of Oman TV, where she said that the ministry is working to review the study programmes offered by private higher education institutions before offering them, and studies their suitability for the labour market and is keen not to repeat a specific specialisation in a specific area in order to avoid accumulation of specific disciplines.

The ministry is working on several programmes and initiatives to enhance the quality of education through field visits to higher education institutions and continuous evaluation of their work, she added.

The minister said that the distribution of scholarships to private higher education institutions depends on several criteria, including the institutions’ commitment to quality standards and their activities in scientific research and innovation, and that scientific research be part of the quality of education.

The ministry has two programmes to support emerging companies in the field of innovation and work on their success to ensure their access to the world. Concerned with innovation, it will be launched before the end of next year.

The minister also said that the percentage of spending on scientific research in the Sultanate of Oman increased during the current year by 0.4 per cent compared to last year, when it was 0.24 per cent of the country’s national income, and was represented by the addition of research centres to this system.

With regard to the postgraduate programme, the minister said that the programme was not offered for one year only, but for years, and it was suspended for a whole year to evaluate its output, and the ministry has obtained Royal approval from His Majesty the Sultan, to resume it after re-planning for the next year. – ONA