Oman Technology Fund invests in ‘Distance Learning Centre’

Muscat: Oman Technology Fund (OTF) has announced an investment in the Distance Learning Centre, which is a smart educational platform called ‘SANA Electronic Platform’.

SANA harnesses the scientific and technical capabilities of Information Technology to support e-learning and distance education and thereby serving the needs of higher education institutions inside and outside the Sultanate. OTF’s support for the platform is part of its RO 1 million in funding assistance to initiatives that overcome the challenges posed by the coronavirus.

The SANA platform features an integrated system for managing e-learning and distance education and producing digital courses. This platform aims to help various educational institutions in providing integrated interactive education in the form of recorded lectures, virtual meetings, class activities and electronic tests compatible with academic quality standards

Zeyad bin Talib al Maawaly, general supervisor, said: the platform is the result of a partnership between the Endowment Fund for Distance Education of the Ministry of Endowments and Religious Affairs and OTF. The Distance Education Center is the first institution to offer elearning services in the Sultanate since 2013. Nearly 5,000 students have registered for various programmes, and around 2,600 students have graduated so far. Systems applied at the Center are designed by local Omani experts.

Maha al Baloushi, Executive Director of the Wadi Accelerator Program at OTF, said:  “The SANA electronic platform enables students to register for specific courses or full programmes – a service that will enhance technical and vocational education in the Sultanate.”