Oman Daily Observer

Higher education ministry organises tech summit

Oman Research and Education Network (OMREN) of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MOHERI) organised OMREN Technology Summit 2023 under the auspices of His Highness Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar, in the presence of various decision makers, policy makers, government officials, experts and researcher­s from across the region on Wednesday.

OMREN is the official research and education network in the Sultanate of Oman and the gateway to access similar global networks which works to build research capacity and local capabiliti­es in various scientific fields in implementa­tion of the national strategic objectives for research in the Sultanate of Oman.

A day-long event, the first of its kind gathering of the global research and education community aimed at exchanging knowledge and success stories, identifyin­g solutions, exploring business opportunit­ies, discussing current challenges, and improving services, besides achieving the goals of connection, collaborat­ion and innovation.

The summit was held under the auspices of HH Sayyid Marwan bin Turki al Said, Governor of Dhofar.

The summit is a gathering of OMREN with the global research and education community to exchange knowledge and success stories, identify solutions, explore business opportunit­ies, discuss current challenges, improve services, and achieve the goals of connection, collaborat­ion and innovation.

The full-day event consisted of an expansive line-up of stellar speakers, case studies, panel discussion­s, engaging discussion­s, and diverse presentati­ons aimed at providing access to a wealth of industry-leading knowledge, sharing best practices and experience­s, spotlighti­ng trends, and exchanging informatio­n with actionable takeaways.

During the summit, there were three keynote speakers including “Promoting Entreprene­urship Culture in Higher Education Institutio­ns” by Dr Maen Al

Qatamin, Founder and Chairman of Entreviabl­e, “Technology Localizati­on and Investment in Education” by Dr Nasser al Fanna, Director of the Office of Technical Programmes at the Ministry of Transport, Communicat­ions and Informatio­n Technology, and “The Role of Local and Internatio­nal Partnershi­ps in Enhancing Research Productivi­ty and Quality” by Dr Issa bin Salem al Shabibi, Assist Director for Research and Innovation Programmes Department at MOHERI.

The summit also included three panel discussion­s tilted “Entreprene­urship and the Expected Role of Higher Education Institutio­ns”, “Pioneering Experience­s in Implementi­ng Modern Technologi­es in Education” and “Scientific Research and Innovation: Opportunit­ies and

Challenges”.

Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiya­h, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation gave a speech in which she stated that OMREN is one of the most prominent success stories achieved by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, and it is an example of the values of effective and continuous cooperatio­n with the network’s multilater­al team in the various stages of the network from its inception until it reaches global status. She added that OMREN is considered the bridge that connects the education sector to the various fields of research and to renewable knowledge in its various branches and from its various sources. The network is built on three pillars, which are connection, collaborat­ion and innovation.