Strong Omani contingent for London Youth Science Forum

Muscat: Twelve Omanis have been selected to participate in this year’s London International Youth Science Forum, to be held from July 25 to August 8, 2018.
Their participation comes as part of the The Research Council’s (TRC) efforts to boost the skills of young Omanis.
The students will have the opportunity to expand their knowledge through workshops, lectures, and visits to the United Kingdom’s leading universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College.
They will also have the opportunity to attend lectures by leading international scientists from around the world, visit leading laboratories, and see some of the greatest institutions in the world, such as Airbus and Rolls Royce.
The announcement of the students’ participation in the London International Youth Science Forum comes as one of many highly successful initiatives launched by TRC over the past year.
A main focus of the Council’s efforts in 2017 was to build partnerships and collaborate with the private and public sectors by seeking to enhance the sustainability of the research and innovation support programmes, which have resulted in a number of initiatives.
Throughout 2017, TRC organised a wide range of research and innovation-based activities to promote the transfer of knowledge and connectivity, at both local and international levels.
The council’s most important achievement of the past year was the approval of the National Innovation Strategy (NIS) by the Cabinet of Ministers, which succeeded due to the considerable efforts of the committees and working groups comprised of experts from the government, private and civil society sectors.
Another key accomplishment was Oman’s rise on the Global Innovation Index, where the Sultanate advanced by 8 spots this year, reaching the 69th place in the GII out of 126 countries, as compared to 77th place in 2017.
Additionally, four research agreements, worth more than OMR300,000, were signed to boost research and development collaborations between industries and academia in the Sultanate.
The agreements, which were signed by Ejaad Platform, Petroleum Development Oman (PDO), and Sultan Qaboos University, target different research challenges faced in Oman, offering a unique opportunity to support the nation’s sustainable development.
Adding to its list of achievements, young entrepreneurs from the Sultanate were given the opportunity to learn about start-up management at the Silicon Slopes Summit 2018, as part of the TRC’s Upgrade initiative.