Higher education minister review cooperation with American university

MUSCAT: The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire discussed the exchange of sabbatical programmes to attract researchers to the Sultanate of Oman to carry out scientific research that falls within the priorities of Oman Vision 2040 and to form relationships with Omani researchers and to link Omani universities with the American university.

This came during the reception of Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation in her office on Monday with Dr. James C. Schmidt, Chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his accompanying delegation who are currently visiting the Sultanate of Oman.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation in various fields related to higher education, scientific research and innovation. The minister affirmed the Ministry’s desire to strengthen relations with the United States of America through the American embassy and the Omani-American Joint Committee to restart the Fulbright Scholars programme after a several-year hiatus.

The meeting touched on cooperation in programmes for people with special needs, offering academic programmes for students, training students and academics. Also discussed were the importance of twinning Omani universities with their counterparts from other countries, establishing a forum that brings together Omani and American universities.

The two sides also discussed fostering cooperation in scholarship programs, applying sustainability at the private higher education institutions, encouraging private colleges and universities to invest in education to create other funding sources without being fully dependent on the scholarships offered by the government. The minister stressed the importance to benefit from the experience of University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in encouraging technology-based start-up companies and assisting students to get support with regard to intellectual property and patents and converting their projects into emerging companies.