Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), represented by the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research and the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, University of Nizwa, Animal and Plant Genetic Resources Center and Qatar Quranic Garden are holding the first International Conference on Frankincense and Medicinal Plants: Recent Advances in Research and Industry from 30 October to 1st of November 2018.
Due to the increasing interest to explore new drugs and products emanating from medical plants in general and from frankincense resins in particular coupled with the need to link industry with academia, it is mandatory to provide a platform to discuss the recent advances in this field.
The conference aims to promote an exchange of knowledge and information about frankincense between specialists and researchers and to establish linkages between producers, industrialists, and consumers of frankincense products worldwide.
To this effect, acclaimed scientists from across the globe have been invited to participate in this distinguished event.
This will result in raising the added value of frankincense and medical plants, increasing its contribution to the national economy, enriching scientific research in the Sultanate and promoting the country’s cultural heritage.
The conference’s first track revolves around frankincense’s traditional use, taxonomy, horticulture, conservation and harvesting.
The conference’s second track, however, sheds light on the chemistry, biology and health aspects of frankincense.
The conference will include various activities including an exhibition for frankincense companies and producers to showcase their latest products in this field.
All interested entities or organisations are now given the opportunity to participate in the exhibition to benefit from the international experiences in this field.
Start ups and student companies have also the opportunity to showcase their experiments and products.
The exhibition will be a great scientific platform to exchange knowledge and information, which will be of a great significance for all the participating entities, which seek to develop their products in this field, so that they go hand in hand with international discoveries, standards and interests.
Those interested may register through the following link (http://conferences.squ.edu.om.icfmp2018). The other part of the exhibition will be devoted for scientific posters, which focus on the latest medical and scientific discoveries in medicinal plants and relevant fields.
Given the important status and the historical and cultural value of the frankincense, a number of organisations and institutions from the public and the private sectors are participating in supporting the conference as strategic partnership, including the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Omani Botanic Garden, Omani Environment Association.
Oman LNG has participated as the bronze sponsor of the event. The preparations for this conference have started a year ago and a number of committees have been formed including the executive committee, the administrative committee, the scientific committee, the organising committee, the technical support committee and the exhibition committee.
These committees have spared no efforts in preparing for the event. The scientific committee for instance is responsible for receiving and reviewing research summaries within the time allocated for proposal submission.
The scientific committee is also responsible for preparing the event’s schedule by allocating sessions in accordance with the conference tracks. --ONA
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