One of the most notable countries in the Middle East is Oman. This oil-powered nation has been in the path of inculcating various initiatives for the socio-economic development of the country for many years now. Recently, the Omani government has turned their attention to the higher education scenario in the country and has been heavily investing to improve the higher education infrastructure in Oman. Founded with the vision to transform individuals by offering high-quality industry-engaged, research-informed educational experience is Muscat University. This study destination has been striving out to formulate innovative solutions to the problems faced by the world. By working closely with industry, Muscat University has been able to introduce new reforms into the higher education realm of Oman and differentiate itself from the other higher education institutions not only in Oman but also in the entire Middle East.
Revolutionizing Conventional Education
Muscat University has been focusing on bringing in innovative measures to change the way traditional Omani higher education institutions operate. Guided by the sheer brilliance and effectiveness of their research, Muscat University has been able to incorporate never before used teaching methodologies into their curriculum. "The key things that we do are on the basis of cutting edge research and we believe that we should not be calling ourselves a University if we are not doing research. We believe in being innovative and responsive to industry needs. Our undergraduate programs have a compulsory yearlong placement which is part of the program. This is the first time something like this is happening in Oman so we are committed to ensuring that our students not only get the theoretical knowledge but also the industry knowledge and apply what they learn in real-life scenarios", avers Prof. Yusra Mouzughi, Vice-Chancellor, Muscat University.
Adding about the uniqueness of their programs, Prof Yusra says, "We have partnerships with two of the strongest universities in the UK. At the Masters level, we have partnerships with Cranfield University which is a leading university in postgraduate education in the UK. Students get to do what is called a dual award in which they receivedegrees from both Muscat University and Cranfield University. So, the students get to have a completely stand-alone degree from the partner University.The same is for the undergraduate programs and we have a partnership with Aston University and our students will get a degree from both the universities. Hence, we are bringing the UK quality of higher education right to the center of Muscat. This demonstrates the strength of our partnership and we believe that there are not many other universities in the Middle East that offers this facility." With 48 percent of the total population in the Middle
East coming under the age of 24, the need for quality higher education is at its highest and acknowledging this Muscat University is trying to feed the job market with future leaders for tomorrow's world.
"With 48 percent of Middle East coming under the age of 24, the need for quality higher education is at its highest and acknowledging this Muscat University is trying to feed the job market with future leaders for tomorrow's world"
Being Student-Centric is the Key
Muscat University has three faculties including Engineering and Technology, Business and Management, and Transport and Logistics. Each of these faculties has one undergraduate and two postgraduate courses and apart from this, the University has also a foundation program that leads onto the bachelor's programs and presessional program leading onto the masters. The Foundation program is approved by Aston University allowing students to join the bachelors and the masters program is approved by Cranfield. The Faculty of Business and Management is all set to be re-launched as the Muscat Business School shortly making it the first Business School in the Sultanate. Muscat University has a personal tutor system and any students joining the university will have a dedicated personal tutor whom they know they can refer to and they can engage with. The University also has a dedicated member of staff for student journey, a first of its kind who is responsible for the seamless transition of both the native and international students to life at Muscat University. All this effort and time put in by the University has helped them to become the favorites of their students.
Operating with the ethos to empower the students to take ownership of the learning experience, Muscat University is committed to offering the best learning experience for their students. The faculty of the University has valuable industry experience and this helps the teachers to assist their students in their pursuit of professional glory. Muscat University has also taken up the responsibility of finding companies for their students to do their placement and this has helped the University to create strong industry connections with well-reputed companies. Offering top-notch education for all, Muscat University has a plethora of scholarship opportunities that reduce the tuition fees by upto 40 percent for undergraduate and upto 25 percent for postgraduate programs. The University has had steady growth since its inception and to become the flag-bearer for higher education in the Middle East, Muscat University is planning to improve on its already impressive offerings.
Prof Yusra Mouzughi, Vice-Chancellor
Yusra Mouzughi is the first female head of a University in Oman. Yusra is a highly motivated, innovative visionary, and academic leader with current experience in set-up, development and leadership of universities in an international context. She has over 14 years "experience in the UK Higher Education sector and over 5 years" industry experience in large blue-chip organizations.
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