SQU symposium weighs four decades of impact

MUSCAT: The scientific symposium accompanying the 40th anniversary of the opening of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) began on Tuesday under the title ‘From Foundation to Leadership: Forty Years of Impact and Shaping the Future’. It was held under the auspices of Shaikh Ghosn bin Hilal al Alawi, Chairman of the State Financial and Administrative Audit Institution (SAI).
Held under the Royal directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, the two-day symposium reviews the university’s journey since its establishment as the first university in the Sultanate of Oman. It examines SQU’s contributions to preparing national talent, producing knowledge and research and serving the community, and discusses its impact on national development and its role over the next two decades.
The symposium presents the findings of a research study measuring the university’s impact on society, the economy and culture, and discusses how the results can be used to build a sustainable institutional framework for measuring that impact in future. It also examines national and international experiences in measuring the societal impact of universities, drawing on leading practices to develop methodologies and maximise developmental contributions.
The first day’s programme comprised two sessions. The first, ‘From Foundation to Leadership: Milestones in the Leadership of Sultan Qaboos University’, featured former and current vice-chancellors and reviewed the stages of the university’s institutional, academic and research development, along with the key milestones and decisions that shaped its journey.
The second session, ‘Memory of the Beginnings: First-Generation Faculty and Students’, was devoted to the experiences of the first faculty members and the first batch of students. It documented university life in the founding years and the challenges that accompanied the building of the institution, preserving part of its institutional memory for future generations.
The symposium seeks to analyse the university’s economic, social and cultural impact and its role in building human capital, producing knowledge, developing institutions and serving the community. It also highlights the contributions of SQU graduates to building state institutions and leading development across various sectors.
It further aims to enhance dialogue between the university and state institutions, the private sector, society and graduates on the university’s future roles and partnerships in supporting sustainable development and national priorities. The discussions also anticipate the transformations, opportunities and challenges that may affect the university and higher education institutions, particularly in digital transformation, artificial intelligence, research, innovation and global competitiveness.
By involving academic partners, researchers and representatives of international organisations, the symposium seeks to expand the university’s academic and research partnerships regionally and internationally, enhancing the exchange of expertise and opening the way for future cooperation.
The symposium will conclude with practical visions and recommendations to maximise the university’s impact and national role in the next phase and to guide its national and international partnerships and initiatives in line with Oman’s priorities and aspirations. — ONA