Thursday 25 / April / 2024
Muscat: The third version of the Forum on Projects Funded by His Majesty’s Trust Fund for Strategic Projects, organised by the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) was held yesterday under the patronage of Dr. Hilal bin Ali Al Hinai, Secretary General of The Research Council (TRC).
His Majesty’s Trust Fund for Strategic Research is a key enabler of innovative, high-impact research at SQU and across the Sultanate. Since the establishment of the fund in 2001, it has supported around 95 large-scale research projects that address real-world issues in sustainable social and economic development.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi, SQU’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies & Research, said that the projects supported by His Majesty’s Trust Fund have the country’s strategic development goals as their foundation, and are conducted for the social, cultural, and economic enhancement of Oman and its people.
One of the main aims of the fund is to support projects that have a high potential of generating the innovative knowledge, products, and services that result in significant socio-economic benefits for the sultanate.
The knowledge created by these projects often stands on the cutting edge of theoretical understandings and practical approaches both within and across fields.
Since its founding in 2001, 95 projects have been funded by His Majesty’s Trust Fund. Of these, 23 projects have been conducted by researchers at the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, 18 at the College of Science, 15 at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, 11 at the College of Education, and 9 at the College of Arts and Social Sciences.
This is followed by eight research projects conducted at the College of Engineering, seven at the College of Economics and Political Science, one at the College of Nursing, and three projects conducted by various research centres at SQU.
In 2018, His Majesty’s Trust Fund awarded six research projects. Of these, two projects each have been awarded for researchers working on projects in the College of Science and the College of Education, in addition to one project each for the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences. The Forum consisted of nine presentations by research team leaders, question-answer sessions and awarding of certificates.
