Education

MUSCAT Geosciences students of the Department of Applied Geosciences attended the European Geosciences Union EGU 2012 in Vienna. About 11,000 international researchers participated in the conference.

Kawthar Al Quraishi, 4th year BSc Applied Geosciences at GUtech, gave a presentation about her research for the bachelor thesis titled: “Late Quaternary delta evolution on an uplifted coastal area “Wadi Haida Sultanate of Oman, Arabian Peninsula”. “The conference is one of the largest Geo-conferences worldwide. The students were very motivated to attend this conference, where they were able to discuss the results of their research with an international audience. “I think they got a large motivation out of that,” said Professor Dr. Goesta Hoffmann, Associate Professor at the Department of Applied Geosciences at GUtech and supervisor of Kawther’s BSc thesis.

Muscat, May 8th2012 -The Sultan’s School, the only Omani school to follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, will hostthe prestigious Information Technology in a Global Society (ITGS) exam standardization meetings for the first time in the Sultanate.Traditionally held in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands where the IB headquarters are located, the meetings determine the standards for examination marking in IB schools worldwide.

Similar sessions take place for all of the subjects covered by the IB program. This year the ITGS exam board will meet in Oman because one of the Principal Examiners, The IB Coordinator at The Sultan’s School, could remain with his studentsto mentor them during the upcoming exam period.

As part of the visit, The Sultan’s School will welcome Senior IB Examiners Elizabeth Orams based in Peru, David Cousensfrom The Koç School, Istanbul, Turkey, Richard Taylor based in the United Kingdom and Barbara Stefanicsfrom the Vienna International School in Austria. They will join The Sultan’s School’s own IB Senior Examiners Eli and Ada Bomfim, ITGS Higher Level Principal Examiners.

Muscat, April 22nd 2012 -A charity auction showcasing artwork produced by The Sultan’s School students and local artists has raised approximately five thousand Omani Rials for The Disabled Child Care Centre based in Muscat.

The pieces, created by students in grades Two to Twelve, as well as pieces generously donated by teachers, parents and local artists including paintings by Saud Al Hunaini, Hassan Meer and Jenni Eden and a beautiful mosaic made of Italian glass and gold leaf gifted by Suad Al Aufy, ensured there was a great variety of items on show.

Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman values the importance of quality education. With a reputed track record developed over the years, dating from the time of its formation to the present day, GHEDEX is recognized by the education industry as one the most commercially successful trade fairs in the Sultanate. GHEDEX 2012, the Global Higher Education Exhibition organised by OITE Trade Fairs will take place from 23rd -25th April, 2012 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from 10 am to 2 pm & 5 pm to 9 pm, under the patronage of Ministry Of Higher Education. The 3 day exhibition will see students, parents, universities, colleges and education providers coming together to discuss the best higher education options available within the country and around the world.

“GHEDEX 2012 is a unique platform where universities and colleges get the opportunity to showcase the courses and programmes they offer while students and parents can evaluate the various options available to them and decide whether they want to pursue their further studies in Oman or abroad. The participating universities at the Malaysian Universities Exhibit 2012 are of international standards and are a must visit for learners looking for quality education abroad at an affordable cost.” says Mr. Muktar Mirza, Project Manager, GHEDEX 2012.

Muscat: The second largest higher education institution in Oman, the Higher College of Technology (HCT) has announced its participation as lead sponsor for GHEDEX 2012 - Oman’s premier Global Higher Education Exhibition. Organised by OITE Trade Fairs under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education and supported by the British Council, AMIDEAST and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands Muscat, GHEDEX is scheduled to be held from 23 to 25 April 2012 at the Oman International Exhibition Centre. The three day event aims at highlighting a multitude of higher education programmes gathering students, parents and education providers under one roof, to garner advice and information on scholarships, admission procedures and career prospects.

The Higher College of Technology is one of seven colleges under the Ministry of Manpower in the Sultanate, with six regional Colleges of Technology located in Musanna, Nizwa, Ibra, Salalah, Shinas and Ibri and one Higher College of Technology in Muscat. A total number of approximately 33000 students are enrolled at present in the Colleges of Technology.

With the vision to become "The College of Choice" for students and for the industry by providing demonstrably high quality teaching, learning and research that makes significant contributions to on-going national economic development, the Higher College of Technology has participated in GHEDEX seven times. “The Higher College of Technology graduates highly trained technicians, technologists and professionals in different specializations who contribute to the development of both the private and public sectors in Oman. Seven new specializations will be introduced at GHEDEX 2012 including Land Surveying, Mechatronics, Chemical & Petrochemical, Biomedical engineering, Information Systems, Chartered Insurance Qualifications and Industrial Hygiene in addition to the existing 30 specializations offered.

The Colleges of Technology award different qualifications like Diplomas, Higher Diplomas and Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech) in different specializations. The percentage of enrolment of General Diploma Graduates (secondary school) in Colleges of Technology has doubled during the past three years. Currently it is approximated at 27% of the total number across Oman with around 11000 secondary school graduates enrolled in 2011-2012 out of 41000.

The Omani job market in particular and the Gulf market in general are rapidly growing with new imported technologies. Currently, there is great focus on the production of oil derivatives, iron pelletizing, ship port industry etc. Inevitably, some skill gaps exist. Technological education programs need to be aligned to meet the industry demands. On the Job Training opportunities need to be well resourced and carefully planned to build the required skills and graduate attributes have to be adjusted to become more closely related to real job functions. With the current revision and development of the technological framework, programs and resources, the Colleges of Technology strive to address and reduce this gap”.

The Colleges of Technology are now under assessment to quality standards by the Oman Academic Accreditation Authority, OAAA which adds wide credits to the quality of its graduates. In the next 2-5 years, it is expected that technological education reaches high levels of success in terms of quantity and quality. Framework, programs and resources of the Colleges of Technology are currently under revision and development so as to accommodate the increasing number of admissions and to meet all OAAA requirements of accreditation. Visit the HCT stand at GHEDEX for more information.

The Technology Education and Vocational Training Exhibition - TRAINEX and the Omanisation& Job Opportunities Exhibition – JOBEX will also be held alongside GHEDEX. Focusing on higher education, training, career guidance and job opportunities in Oman, this three-in-one exhibition offers an array of opportunities for everyone. The most all-inclusive event of its kind held annually in the Sultanate of Oman, the event is an unrivalled platform for students, graduates, job seekers, and those seeking education opportunities abroad. For more information about the event, log on to www.ghedexoman.com.

MUSCAT A group of students and two professors of the Department of Sustainable Tourism and Regional Development of GUtech recently attended a course in Tourism Management at the university of Applied Sciences in Stralsund and conducted field trips to different cities in Germany. The course and the tourism field trips were a compulsory part of the STRD studies at GUtech. “We visited the city of Aachen and GUtech’s parent university, RWTH Aachen University. Besides, from Aachen we did a number of day-trips to Bonn, Brussels and to Maastricht,” said Khalid Al Wardi, 4th year STRD GUtech student.

In the North German city of Stralsund the students attended a class in Strategic Tourism Marketing. GUtech and the University of Applied Sciences of Stralsund recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that includes student and academic exchange and cooperation in various fields.  “We found that the teaching-style of the professors is very similar to GUtech. The best was to interact with the group of international students, who were from France, Russia and other countries,” said Lovelyn Aranha.

MUSCAT The University of Technology in Oman (GUtech) has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the German company BAUER Water GmbH for a scientific cooperation in the field of hydrogeology, water management and oil production site management. “GUtech and BAUER Water intend to develop an active cooperation to tackle different water and environment related problems as well as joint scientific research cooperation, seminars, internships and Bachelor and Master thesis for GUtech students,” said Professor Dr. Burkhard Rauhut, Rector of GUtech during the signing ceremony.

“The production and processing of oil and gas results in the production of large volumes of contaminated water, from which various substances need to be removed prior to their disposal,” said Peter Amler, Managing Director of Bauer Water GmbH. The daughter campany in Oman, BAUER Nimr LLC, has a water treatment plant in operation that is treating almost 50,000 m3 of water per year and is currently being expanded. Furthermore, BAUER Nimr is running a pilot plant in Oman for removal of naturally-occuring radioactive material (NORM) from drilling equipment that is used in the oil production process. GUtech students who participate in the programme may be involved in local projects at BAUER Nimr LLC or may spend some time at BAUER Water GmbH in Germany as part of the collaboration.

Muscat: From a global viewpoint, Oman is an emerging market with economic and social development taking place at a fast pace. In an age where access to information and higher education play a vital role in speeding up the process of development in a country, Oman is making its mark. Aimed at providing students with the best higher education opportunities from around the world, OITE Trade Fairs will organize the Global Higher Education Exhibition -GHEDEX 2012 from 23rd- 25th April. Under the patronage of the Ministry of Higher Education, GHEDEX will be held at the Oman International Exhibition Centre from 10 am to 2 pm & 5 pm to 9 pm.

One of the highlights of GHEDEX 2012 is the Irish Universities Exhibit 2012, which will see 12 Irish Universities sharing the same platform for promoting the latest career oriented programs and academic courses. Education in Ireland will showcase the advantages of an education in Ireland alongside the Sligo Institute of Technology, National College of Ireland (NCI), Dundalk Institute of Technology, Dublin Institute of Technology, Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, University College Dublin, Carlow Institute of Technology, Waterford Institute of Technology, Dublin City University and Athlone Institute of Technology while Dorset College Dublin makes an independent entry.