SQU forum on research projects under His Majesty’s trust fund tomorrow

Muscat: Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), represented by the Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research, is organising the Forum on Projects Funded by His Majesty’s Trust Fund for Strategic Research on Tuesday, under the auspices of Khalid bin Hilal Al Ma’awali, Chairman of the Majlis A’Shura.
Dr. Rahma bint Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research at SQU, stated that the forum is part of continuing efforts to enhance the research culture at SQU in particular and in the Sultanate in general.
The forum also seeks to strengthen the bonds of cooperation between SQU, the community, and other institutions, while highlighting the benefits of research conducted by SQU faculty and researchers.
In addition to these objectives, it is envisioned that the forum will motivate researchers across SQU to submit their research proposals to His Majesty’s Trust Fund while also informing them about the rigorous evaluation process all proposals undergo.
Dr. Rahma added that, from the time of its establishment until 2015, around (77) projects have been supported by His Majesty’s Trust Fund. The forum will offer an excellent platform for discussion as it will shed light on some of the projects funded by His Majesty’s Trust Fund and will display their findings and significance for Omani society.
The forum will feature a number of presentations from educational, humanitarian, scientific, and medical fields.
The first forum session will feature three presentations.
The first presentation will be on critical thinking skill development among SQU students, while the second will focus on the effectiveness of the design and use of new software in learning Arabic reading at Omani first basic education schools.
The third presentation will look at the assessment of lifestyles, including physical activity, nutritional habits, sedentary behavior, and BMI among 15-17year-old school students in Oman. The second and third sessions include presentations on the examinations of the role of disclosures in the Muscat Securities Market, the assessment of the potential application of LEAN thinking in the Omani healthcare sector, characterisation of meteorites and the anti-cancer properties of natural products isolated from date fruits, value- added functional products from less utilised biomaterials, and the potential sources of plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria in farms in Oman.
The program also offers a chance for discussion between presenters and the audiences after each session.