MUSCAT: The Research Council (TRC) board on Sunday held a meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Rawya bint Saud al Busaidiya, Minister of Higher Education and Deputy Chairperson of the Research Council. The meeting discussed a range of issues that are expected to enhance TRC’s efforts in supporting research and innovation in the Sultanate. It approved a document to establish the strategic programme on cultural heritage which aims at enhancing the efforts made in the Sultanate to study the physical and non-physical aspects of the Sultanate’s cultural heritage to ensure its sustainability on one hand and develop it on the other hand.
The board also approved the establishment of the strategic programme in the field of smart cities which aims at creating solutions for some challenges facing these smart cities, such as traffic congestion, lack of parking lots and lack of smart tourism services. It also reviewed the developments of the smart cities and providing the conducive milieu for the inventing smart solutions that will contribute to achieving Muscat Municipality’s ambitious plan to rehabilitate Muttrah to be a model for modern cities. They also reviewed a number of reports on the progress of work, such as the report of the international consultancy committee, the operational plan report and TRC’s approved budget for 2017.
Sustainability in higher education
Meanwhile, the Private Higher Education Institutions Sustainability Committee held a meeting under the chairmanship of Dr Rawya bint Saud al Busaidiya, Minister of Higher Education to discuss a study prepared by The Research Council (TRC) on sustainability options for the private higher education institutions.
The meeting discussed a number of options presented by TRC to ensure sustainability of the private higher education institutions using the international models in higher education institutions integration policies.
The study aims at identifying solutions to ensure sustainability at the private higher education institutions, expenditure management at the education sector with more efficiency and enhance the quality of education and education outputs.
The meeting was attended by Dr Hilal bin Ali al Hinai, TRC Secretary-General, Dr Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice-Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), Dr Said bin Hamad al Rabie, Secretary-General of the Education Council, Ahmed bin Khalfan al Rawahi, Principal of Nizwa University, Jokha bint Abdullah al Shakiliya, Director-General of the Directorate for Private Colleges and Universities, Shaikhah bint Hilal al Busaidiya, Director of Coordination and Follow at the Ministry of Higher Education and the lawyer Said bin Saad al Shahri. It was also attended from the TRC by Dr Sharifah bint Hamoud al Harthiya, Dr Idris bin Saleh al Rahbi and Dr Obaid bin Mohammed al Saeedi. — ONA
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