Musqat: The 10th regular session of the first annual convening during the 10th term was held by the Shura Council on Monday. Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, was invited to discuss the Ministry's statement regarding the development of higher education, vocational training, research, and innovation. Khalid bin Hilal Al Maawali, Chairman of the Council, was present at the session.
Dr. Rahma highlighted the increase in enrollment rates in higher education institutions in Oman and the strengthened cooperation with similar institutions in Arab and friendly countries. As a result, more scholarships have been allocated for Omani students to study abroad. These scholarships include 206 annual scholarships for studying in Saudi Arabia, 50 annual scholarships for studying in Hungary, and 22 annual scholarships for Omani students to study in France.
Furthermore, three private higher education institutions in Oman, namely Al Buraimi University, the German University of Technology (GUtech Oman), and Dhofar University, received scholarships funded by the "Erasmus Plus" student exchange program for European Union countries for the first time.
Dr. Rahma also mentioned the education-based training program (Eidad), which was launched in the academic year 2020/2021 and benefited students in their penultimate year of graduation. In the academic year 2022/2023, the program was extended to 17 higher education institutions, 202 private institutions, and 205 students.
Lastly, the minister highlighted the formation of a joint working team consisting of members from the Ministry of Higher Education, the Ministry of Education, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), and the University of Technology and Applied Sciences. This team is responsible for reviewing curricula for educational institutions.
The minister stated that in the past two academic years, the number of study seats provided through foreign missions was 550 annually. She also mentioned that for the academic year 2023-2024, the scholarships for studying abroad increased to 535, up from 312 in the academic year 2021-2022.
Dr. Rahma highlighted a program offering scholarship opportunities for international students pursuing a Bachelor's degree at Omani higher education institutions. This program includes 100 full scholarships for studying at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, exclusively for Omani residents, as well as 75 full scholarships for international students not residing in Oman.
Furthermore, the minister confirmed the Ministry's intention to introduce legislation penalizing individuals with fake educational qualifications, along with a decree criminalizing the acquisition of certificates from bogus universities. She noted that the number of fake qualifications decreased to 10 in 2023, down from 44 in 2019.
Dr. Rahma elaborated that 18 private universities and colleges in Oman successfully obtained institutional accreditation from the Omani Authority for Academic Accreditation and Educational Quality Assurance.
