Muscat: The first forum on future universities and a gathering on training and career guidance began at the Oman Convention and Exhibition Centre on Monday. The two-day events are organized by the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, under the auspices of Dr Nasser Rashid al Maawali, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Economy.
Nineteen specialized papers on policies, strategies and laws related to digital transition in Oman will be reviewed during the forum, which sees the participation of 31 public establishments, private sector firms and international enterprises.
Dr Said Hamad al Rubaiee, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, said that the forum has a set of goals: It contributes to implementing the government’s efforts aimed at empowering higher education institutions in their bids to realize digital transition, achieving operational efficiency, capacity building, knowledge sharing and transfer, providing technical solutions and tools that support business management, managing change and institutional innovation and endorsing smart applications and advanced technologies.
Al Rubaiee pointed out that the university team supervises the implementation of university projects related to digital transformation. He added that the team is embarked on implementing 111 initiatives and projects covering a period of 4 years (2022-2025).
He explained that 25 indicators have been identified to measure digital proficiency—to be monitored on a quarterly basis, with focus on specific levels of proficiency.
Al Rubaiee said that the average financial cost set for the implementation of projects and initiatives stands at around RO 20 million, of which nearly RO 9 million was approved.
Meanwhile, the gathering on training and career guidance sees the participation of companies from the public and private sectors, as well as employment platforms.
The gathering seeks to highlight the university's approach to develop graduates' readiness for employment, equip them with future skills, enhance their basic and advanced digital knowledge and improve their job-related skills.
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