UTAS Oman’s first varsity with branch campuses

With a strength of 46,230 students, 13 specialisations in 13 campuses across the Sultanate, the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS) has emerged as the largest university in Oman. The UTAS thus is the only university that is branch-based higher education in the Sultanate.

The youngest university in Oman has just begun its journey with the Royal Decree (76/2020) that merged Colleges of Technology (CoT), Colleges of Applied Sciences (CAS), and Rustaq College of Education, and taking the shape of a university. The formation of UTAS is part of the Oman vision 2040.

In an exclusive interview with the Observer, Dr Said bin Hamad al Rubaiee, Vice-Chancellor of UTAS, laid out the priorities and vision of the university. “The most challenging task is the merger of three higher education institutions (HEIs) – CAS, CoT and Rustaq College of Education, the work on which is on a fast track and that is being monitored on a day-to-day basis.

“The foundation of the UTAS’s priorities will be based on the national priority of education, learning, scientific research, and national talents which were introduced in Oman Vision 2040. Thus, UTAS is going to embrace the Sultanate’s education philosophy, which is based on the National Strategy for Education 2040, Scientific Research Strategy, and the Innovation Strategy. We will be part of the national goals to offer ‎comprehensive education, sustainable learning, and scientific research that leads to a ‎‎knowledge society and competitive national talents.”

The vision behind setting up the UTAS is to tackle the challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (IR4), and the Oman vision 2040 which necessitate having a dynamic and sustainable educational system.

Asked how can the university keep up with Oman Vision 2040 and future directions, the V-C said, “Oman Vision 2040 made education one of its most prominent pillars and national priorities. The vision included a strategic direction which calls for inclusive, life-long learning, and scientific research that leads to a knowledge society and competitive national talents.”

Dr Said al Rubaiee called for the role of HEIs in fulfilling Oman’s developmental aspirations and said, “In line with the rapid changes in technology, skills, and knowledge, the UTAS will continue to qualify future generations to positively contribute to various fields of development in fulfilment of Oman’s national aspirations. This will be achieved through its various academic programmes, harnessing all human and material potentials, taking high-quality technologies and software as a path to achieve the goals of technical and applied education, and developing its academic programmes in light of the requirements of modern science.”