‘Start-up’ from the college itself!

In the past, the education system around the world was to teach students to think casually, to set a goal, and then explore and acquire the means and resources to find the most suitable and efficient way of achieving it.

But in recent years, entrepreneurship has grown so explosively across the higher education landscape that creativity skills are taught, learned and developed, not by sitting in a classroom, but by experiencing and applying creative thinking processes.

Today, there are adequate resources and tech infrastructure for students to take the plunge. As long as they have the right idea, and the will to succeed, launching a business venture is a great option in the college itself!

Significantly, what students do is that they pitch their ideas, launch a start-up, and manage to acquire a good client base and thereby make decent earnings.

Entrepreneurship and start-up policies play a vital role in the economic and social development of a nation. In fast-developing economies like the Sultanate of Oman, these policies are critical and very important for innovators, entrepreneurs and start-ups in overcoming barriers.

The National Innovation Strategy in alignment with Oman Vision 2040 focuses on research that will lead to the development of a knowledge-based society and capable national cadres, which focuses on transferring knowledge into economic revenue.

One of the most significant components of the National Strategy is the support of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. Research and innovation, according to him, should be at the top of the national priorities.

Vision 2040 is a roadmap that will help Oman gain a place within the global competitive landscape through diversified and sustainable economic measures.

Represented by the Ministry of Education, Oman has witnessed, over the past years, steady growth through positive transformations that are taking place in line with the rapid global developments in various fields.

Several steps include a training system for professional development, diversification of its sources and linking it to the labour market, the establishment of solid bases for scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship in the curricula, and supporting the establishment of innovative start-ups through various programmes.

A number of start-ups have arrived in the Omani industrial scene in the recent past. Many youngsters, both citizens and expatriates, have started recognising the power of start-up companies. Knowledge Oman is a very influential tech start-up, which has already been termed as an ‘outstanding new venture’ by World Human Resource Development Congress.

The Omani government is keen to learn from the experience of other nations in encouraging a strong start-up sector. The leadership believes that a vibrant start-up community is central to the country’s ambitious plans for growth and sustainable development goals.

A healthy start-up sector would not only bring greater economic diversification, it could also inject new levels of innovation and disruption into its established industries and sectors attracting high levels of investment, such as hydrogen and other green energy sources. Entrepreneurial start-ups create digitally enabled solutions that could benefit the entire economy.

With regard to achieving sustainable development goals, especially the fourth goal related to education, a United Nations report has already ranked Oman in first place among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries in achieving the goals of sustainable development of the United Nations for the year 2022.

The report also indicated that Oman is on the right track in achieving goals related to many aspects, including equality in education, which reflects the pivotal importance of the sustainable development file within the national agenda.

Samuel Kutty

The writer is a freelance journalist and author who has worked in India and Gulf countries