Muscat: Majlis A'Shura hosted Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrooqi, Minister of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation (MOHERI), in its tenth regular session of the 10th term to discuss the ministry’s statement in five specific areas, such as five-year strategies and plans, education, vocational training, and research.
Highlights of the minister's statement
The Ministry is currently studying the concept of establishing an Omani virtual university, with the aim of developing a system for providing higher education via the Internet. This system will provide students from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman with access to educational content and a flexible educational environment to continue their university studies.
The Ministry has signed agreements for educational cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that include allocating 206 annual scholarships to study in educational institutions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and with the Republic of Hungary to provide 50 scholarships annually. There are also agreements with France for 22 annual
scholarships, Morocco for 100 scholarships annually, and Egypt for 20 scholarships.
Three private higher education institutions in the Sultanate of Oman received scholarships for the first time, funded under the Erasmus Plus program of the European Union countries, which are Al Buraimi University, the German University of Technology (GuTech), and the University of Dhofar.
The Ministry is pursuing a multi-faceted general policy aimed at achieving quality higher education and promoting equitable access to education and vocational training opportunities.
All institutions are told not to employ any expatriate unless he obtains the equivalency of his degree from the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research, and Innovation.
Tuition fees compared to other countries are reasonable and there is no increase in tuition fees
Scholarships from some institutions in Jordan were stopped after it was confirmed that Omani students were treated differently compared to other students. Some Omanis who went to study in Jordan without the ministry’s approval are facing difficulty equating their certificates.
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