Linking Oman’s Higher Education Institutions with the Public and

Private Sectors

7-9 May, 2017Oman Convention & Exhibition Centre

Organized by:

Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor forPostgraduate Studies and Research

Sultan Qaboos University

Sultan Qaboos University - Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research

The event seeks the participation of the following people:

• Academics from higher education institutions within Oman and from across the region

• Members of student societies

• Representatives from the private and public sectors, especially in relation to the strategic sectors high-lighted above

• Undergraduate and postgraduate students from high-er education institutions across Oman

• High school students

• University and college alumni from across Oman and the region

• Parents

• Businesspeople

• Policymakers

• Researchers

• Other concerned stakeholders from Omani society

Audience: Information for sponsors and exhibitors:

The event features two main sections. The first is the SQU exhibition in which attendees can visit a number of “stations” or booths displaying various aspects of the university’s academic, research, and communi-ty work. The other main section involves companies and organizations renting booths to display their products and services. These companies and organ-izations will include all public and private higher education institutions and research centres in the country, private sector companies and organizations, including Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), in the sectors of transport and logistics, tourism, fisher-ies, mining, manufacturing, hydrocarbons, banking, and ICT, and, in the public sector, research and devel-opment departments in the Diwan and the sultanate’s ministries.

24142111 24413123 dvc-psr@squ.edu.om https://www.squ.edu.om/psr

Sultan Qaboos University

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TEAMEvent: Linking Oman’s Higher Education Institutions with the Public and Private SectorsDate: 7-9 May, 2017Venue: Oman Convention and Exhibition CentreEvent Organizers: Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research

The main sectors that will be involved in the event are: higher education, transport and logistics, tourism, fisheries, min-ing, manufacturing, hydrocarbons, banking, ICT, and SMEs.

Vision: Sectors involved:

Contact details:

Anticipated outcomes:

Rationale:

The 9th Five-year Development Plan 2016-2020 notes the challenges that the Sultanate of Oman faces in terms of the volatility of oil prices, job creation, geopolitical ten-sions within the Middle East and North Africa region, and the country’s need to accelerate economic diversification and minimize elasticity towards external shocks. In order to address these challenges, it is necessary for organiza-tions and companies across the private and public sectors in Oman to combine their efforts to ensure the country’s continued social and economic growth. One of the most important ways to achieve this is by establishing stronger links between academia, industry, and government. In or-der to help achieve this, the event “Linking Oman’s Higher Education Institutions with the Public and Private Sectors” offers an ideal environment for exploring the ways closer cooperation between various stakeholders in strategic sec-tors can contribute to the achievement of the sultanate’s development goals. The event allows these companies and organizations to gain a clearer picture of each other’s re-sources, capabilities, and directions, while also promoting the kinds of networking that encourage inter-institution-al cooperation and the exchange of expertise. All this will take place in an environment in which general members of the public can witness the benefits that such cooperation can achieve, thereby building confidence in the ability of academia, government, and industry to identify and ad-dress the needs of Oman and its people in an efficient and timely manner.

• Extending communication and interaction between the community members and other companies and institutions in the private and public sectors.

• Promoting opportunities for the wider application of the knowledge, expertise, and services of companies and organizations in the private and public sectors to community development.

• Promoting and developing skills, and enriching the spirit of research and innovation, within Omani society.

• Recognizing the constantly changing needs of society, and strengthening the role of academia, industry, and government in providing for them.

• Enhancing cooperation between companies and or-ganizations in the private and public sectors in order to identify important challenges and formulate poten-tial solutions.

• Creating greater links between academic programs at higher education institutions and both government and industry.

• Promoting engagement in applied research that addresses the challenges encountered by industry and government.

Bringing together academia, industry, and government in pursuit of the fulfilment of the country’s strategic development goals. Strengthening links between stakeholders across various sec-tors in order to enhance their cooperation in projects that ad-dress Oman’s strategic social and economic development needs.

• Enhancing communication and interaction between com-munity members and other institutions in the private and public sectors.

• Contributing to the creation of an environment that en-courages learning, creativity and innovation across the sultanate.

• Engaging community members and representatives of aca-demia and the public and private sectors in dialogue about Oman’s current challenges and opportunities and how these impact upon national development.

• Establishing and reinforcing channels of communication between academia and various community members in-cluding company representatives, policymakers, graduates, researchers, parents, alumni, and students through discus-sion, deliberation, and exchange of views.

• Increasing awareness about the contribution the relation-ship between academia, industry, and government has made to national development through the projects and ac-tivities that promote progress across various sectors.

• Enhancing engagement with socially responsible practices of various companies and organizations in the public and private sectors.

• Bridging the gap between higher education and the job market.

Mission:

Objectives:

Ahmed Al-RashdiOffice of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research Email: aarashdi@squ.edu.om / Phone: 2414 2111

Hind Al-HinaiPlanning & Development SectionOffice of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research Email: hmh@squ.edu.om / Phone: 2414 3095/3078/3076

P. O. Box 17, Al-Khodh, P.C. 123Phone: 24142111 / Fax: 24413123

Email: dvc-psr@squ.edu.omwww.squ.edu.om/psr