Sultan Qaboos University Postgraduate Studies and Research Report 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Introduction (VC and DVC PSR Statement) Postgraduate Studies 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Postgraduate Programs 2.3 Skill‟s Enhancement Programs 2.4 Scholarships Research Strategy Funding and Research Areas 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Internal Grants 4.3 Joint Grants 4.4 His Majesty‟s Trust Fund 4.5 The Research Council Grants 4.6 Consultancy Services 4.7 External Grants 4.8 Trends in Funding Research Output 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Publication Output by Categories 5.3 Internationally Recognized Publications Research Impact 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Environment and Biological Research 6.3 Energy and Non-Renewable Resources Research 6.4 Life and Health Sciences Research 6.5 Humanities and Social Sciences Research 6.6 Educational Research 6.7 Material Research Research Support 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Conferences, Symposia and Workshops 7.3 Conference Attendance 7.4 SQU Journal and Books 7.4.1 SQU Journals 7.4.2 SQU Books 7.5 Conclusions 1 5 5 6 10 10 12 14 14 14 16 17 18 20 21 21 23 23 23 24 26 26 26 30 31 34 37 39 40 40 40 49 53 53 60 67 TABLE OF CONTENTS 8 Research Awards 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Best Researcher Award 8.3 Best Paper Award 8.4 Student Research Award 8.5 Conclusions 9 Colleges’ Reports 9.1 Introduction 9.2 College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences 9.3 College of Arts and Social Sciences 9.4 College of Economics and Political Science 9.5 College of Education 9.6 College of Engineering 9.7 College of Medicine and Health Sciences 9.8 College of Nursing 9.9 College of Science 10 Research Centres’ Reports 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Centre for Environmental Studies and Research 10.3 Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology 10.4 Communication and Information Research Centre 10.5 Earthquake Monitoring Centre 10.6 Humanities Research Centre 10.7 Oil and Gas Research Centre 10.8 Omani Studies Centre 10.9 Remote Sensing and GIS Centre 10.10 Water Research Centre 68 68 68 70 71 71 72 72 73 75 76 78 79 81 83 84 86 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 95 97 ABBREVIATIONS CAMS CASS CED CEMB CEPS CESAR CIRC COE COL COMHS CON COS CS DVCPSR EBR EDR EG ELT EMC ENR FR HMTF HRC HSR ICR IG IRR JG LC LHR MR OGRC OSC PI RC RSGISC SQU SQUH TRC WRC College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences College of Arts and Social Sciences College of Education Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology College of Economics and Political Science Centre for Environmental Studies and Research Communication and Information Research Centre College of Engineering College of Law College of Medicine and Health Sciences College of Nursing College of Science Consultancy Services Deputy Vice- Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research Environmental and Biological Research Educational Research External Grants English Language Teaching Earthquake Monitoring Centre Energy and Non- Renewable Resources Research Fundamental Research His Majesty‟s Trust Fund Humanities Research Centre Humanities and Social Sciences Research Information and Communication Systems Research Internal Grants Industry-Related Research Joint Grants Language Centre Life and Health Sciences Material Research Oil and Gas Research Centre Omani Studies Centre Principal Investigator Research Centre Remote Sensing and GIS Sultan Qaboos University Sultan Qaboos University Hospital The Research Centre Water Research Centre Foreword by the Vice-Chancellor As the national university of the Sultanate of Oman, SQU has been committed to fulfilling its critical role in the education, research and social and economic development of the nation. Over the past decade, SQU has made significant progress in becoming the country's major research institution for disseminating research knowledge, providing effective advice and producing quality manpower. This is reflected in the University‟s research mission - to develop a research culture and capacity, generate knowledge and find solutions for strategic issues in Oman. This report presents the postgraduate and research achievements of SQU during the year 2013. It sheds light on research funding, output, support and awards. It concludes with research reports from the colleges and research centres. SQU continues to provide the resources needed to increase the postgraduate programmes, particularly the Doctoral programmes, through state-of-the-art facilities, scholarships and bench fees. We are delighted to see increasing numbers of postgraduate students, particularly international students, applying for our postgraduate programmes. The postgraduate programmes have been regularly scrutinised to ensure that they meet international standards. The University has made good progress in implementing its research strategy in terms of developing research regulations, expanding research funding, promoting research centres and chairs, increasing research collaborations and enhancing research output. SQU maintains its annual Internal Grants system and additional amounts were allocated to the colleges to account for the increase in their staff. We are pleased to observe more faculty members applying for His Majesty‟s Trust Fund, which was established to support strategic research that addresses the needs of the country. We are proud of the number of projects awarded to our faculty members by TRC. More faculty members are engaged in procuring External Grants and Consultancy Services. 1 We are committed to supporting the growing number of conferences, symposia and workshops held at the University, as well as the rising number of faculty members attending conferences abroad. The academic publications of the staff in SQU journals and recognised international journals and conference proceedings have been increasing annually. I wish to thank all staff for their great efforts and commitment to raising the University‟s research profile so that we can fulfil His Majesty‟s aspirations and become an internationally recognised research-intensive university. Dr. Ali Saud Al-Bemani Vice-Chancellor Sultan Qaboos University 2 Foreword by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research SQU always strives to raise its research profile to international standards, while keeping the country‟s national strategic needs in focus. To fulfill this goal, it has provided the support needed to create a sustainable research culture that will also be able to contribute to the country‟s development, and thus to the prosperity of the Omani society. Following our last report on research at SQU for the period 2010–2012, I am pleased to report on the University postgraduate studies and research activities for 2013. As outlined in this report, good progress has been made and we aspire to achieve even more under the vision and guidance of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. A new Doctoral programme in Natural Resource Economics and four new Masters programmes in Curriculum Teaching and Methods, Archaeology, Strategic Studies for National Security and Defense, and Information Systems were approved. In 2013, the number of admitted and graduated Masters students were 414 and 259, respectively. Thirty-three (33) Doctoral students were admitted and four (4) graduated in 2013. Seventy-eight (78) postgraduate scholarships were awarded for Masters students and 16 for PhD students in 2013. The number of international students in 2013 was 41 Master students and 16 PhD students. In 2013, 63 internal research grants were awarded with a value of RO 470,195. The Research Council awarded the University 13 research grants with a value of RO 1,683,128. The number of refereed journal papers produced by the University staff in 2013 was 1,193 of which 965 are listed in the international SCOPUS database. In 2013, 21 conferences, symposia and workshops were organised. SQU provided financial support to 650 staff members to participate in conferences abroad in 2013. We are delighted to have strong research partnerships with several public and private sector organisations, and in particular TRC, which has led to several projects undertaken by the University. 3 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the University Council and the Vice-Chancellor for their continuous encouragement and support. I also thank our staff for their efforts and commitment to enhancing the University‟s research profile. Prof. Amer Ali Al-Rawas Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Postgraduate Studies and Research Sultan Qaboos University 4 2 POSTGRADUATE STUDIES 2.1 Introduction The Deanship of Postgraduate Studies is operating under the auspices of the Deputy ViceChancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research and has four operating departments: Admissions and Statistics; Academic Affairs and Follow up; Programs; and Scholarships & International Students. There is a director for each department responsible for all assigned tasks. The Deanship of Postgraduate Studies has an overall responsibility for the administration of Postgraduate Diplomas, Masters and Doctoral programs. Masters programs are available in four options: by research & thesis; by coursework and thesis; by coursework only; and by coursework & a comprehensive examination. Doctoral programs are by research with the option of limited coursework as required by the student‟s committee. The 2013 Annual Report contains much useful information about the accomplishments of the Deanship in 2013 and the way to move forward in the years ahead. Mission The mission of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies is to promote nationally and internationally high quality postgraduate programs offered at Sultan Qaboos University and to support colleges by: - Coordinating all matters relevant to admission, registration and graduation of postgraduate students. - Marketing and publicizing of postgraduate programs. - Administering of the Postgraduate Academic Regulations. - Managing of the postgraduate scholarship program. - Offering workshops and courses to develop postgraduate students‟ and faculty members‟ skills in research and scholarship endeavors. Objectives The main objectives of the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies are to: - Implement the University postgraduate academic guidelines and policies. - Support the University and Colleges endeavors to produce high quality graduates. - Serve the needs of Omanis and international students, who desire to advance their knowledge, innovation and skills in the workplace. 5 2.2 Postgraduate Programs In 2013, the following new Doctoral and Master Programs were approved and offered for the academic year 2013/2014: Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resource Economics, College of Economics and Political Science Master of Education in Curriculum Teaching and Methods, College of Education Master of Arts Archaeology, College of Arts & Social Sciences Master of Arts Strategic Studies for National Security and Defense, College of Arts and Social Sciences Master of Science in Information Systems, College of Economics and Political Science Table 2.2.1: Masters and Doctoral Programs in 2013 Colleges Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences Economics and Political Science Education Engineering Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Total Total Postgraduate Programs = 93 Postgraduate Diploma 1 1 Masters PhD 8 10 3 10 9 4 8 9 61 5 3 0 2 6 0 8 7 31 Table 2.2.2: Number of 2013 Applicants for Postgraduate Programs Bridging Postgraduate Masters Colleges Year Diploma Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences Economics and Political Science Education Engineering Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Total 1 8 59 1 39 12 84 204 32 32 46 295 171 714 163 187 58 196 1830 PhD 10 15 5 7 5 8 50 6 AGR ART COM EDU ENG LAW MED SCI 3% 14% 16% 3% 9% 11% 10% 34% Figure: 2.2.1: 2013 Postgradute Applications Table 2.2.3: Postgraduate Admission in 2013 Bridging Colleges Year Agricultural and Marine Sciences 1 Arts and Social Sciences 7 Economics and Political Science 54 Education 1 Engineering 38 Law Medicine and Health Sciences 9 Science 81 Total 191 Postgraduate Diploma 11 11 Masters PhD 27 64 64 136 37 40 10 36 414 4 13 5 2 5 4 33 7 Bridging Year Diploma Master PhD 81 Sciences Medicine and Health Sciences 9 10 5 Law 40 Engineering 38 36 4 40 37 2 77 136 54 Economics and Political Science Arts and Social Sciences 7 11 Agricultural and Marine Sciences 1 27 121 24 1 Education Total 142 64 64 4 5 118 13 95 32 Figure 2:2:2 Postgraduate Admission in 2013 Table 2.2.4: Enrollment by College in 2013 Colleges Bridging Year Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences 4 Economics & Political Sciences 10 Education 1 Engineering 21 Law Medicine and Health Sciences 2 Science 30 68 Total Bridging Year Master 64 2 Medicine and Health Sciences 21 58 1 3 123 10 Economics and Political Science Agricultural and Marine Sciences 2 35 Engineering Arts and Social Sciences 8 15 Law Education PhD 2 11 3 2 8 26 PhD 30 Sciences Masters 12 48 24 123 58 35 15 64 367 4 24 48 12 11 2 Figure 2:2:3 Postgraduate Enrollment in 2013 8 Table 2.2.5: Postgraduate Graduates in 2013 Colleges Masters PhD Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences 14 41 1 - Economics and Political Science 34 - Education Engineering 61 32 1 Law 29 - Medicine and Health Sciences 12 - Science 36 2 Total 259 4 Graduates of Year 2013 70 60 PhD 50 Master 40 61 30 41 20 10 1 34 2 1 32 36 29 14 12 0 Agricultural Arts and Economics Education Engineering and Marine Social and Politcal Sciences Sciences Sciences Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Figure 2:2:4: Master and PhD Graduates in 2013 Table 2.2.6: International Students in 2013 Colleges Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences Economics & Political Sciences Education Engineering Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Total Masters 4 3 3 19 2 10 41 PhD 6 2 6 2 16 9 2.3 Skills' Enhancement Programs Since 2009, the Deanship of Postgraduate Studies has been organizing a collection of skills‟ enhancement workshops (nonacademic programs) every semester. In 2013, 32 workshops were conducted in various topics related to postgraduate studies. In addition, more than 920 participants joined these workshops including students, faculty and researchers. Table 2.3.1: Skills Enhancement Program in 2013 Program Students Program Students 1. How to Defend your Thesis? (English) 28 17. Skills in using information electronic resources (Arabic) 108 2. How to Defend your Thesis? (Arabic) 21 53 3. Effective Supervision 26 18. Skills in using information electronic resources (English) 19. Choosing Research Topic 4. Workshop for Writing Publication 40 20. Thesis Writing (Arabic) 98 5. SPSS (English) 130 21. Proposal Writing (English) 51 6. SPSS (Arabic) 100 22. Proposal Writing (Arabic) 82 7. EndNote(English) 73 23. Critical Inquiry and Research Design (English) 55 8. EndNote(Arabic) 53 84 9. Important Factors in Improving Academic Writing (Arabic) 10. Questionnaire Design (Arabic) 17 24. Improving Postgraduate Student Writing and Reading Skills for Research (English) 25. LaTex Software (English) 44 11. Online Questionnaire (English) 45 12. Online Questionnaire (Arabic) 119 13. Scientific Paper Writing (English) 51 26. Effective Communication, Critical Thinking and SelfPresentation Skills (English) 27. Time and Information Management and Critical Thinking (Arabic) 28. Interviews as Qualitative Data Collection Method (Arabic) 29. Triangulation in Qualitative Research (Arabic) 14. Scientific Paper Writing(Arabic) 97 30. Content Analysis in Qualitative Research (Arabic) 47 15. Statistical Analysis Using Excel (Arabic) 16. Using “word” Software for Preparing Good Scientific Skills (Arabic) 19 31. Discourse analysis in Qualitative Research (Arabic) 42 42 32. How to Write the Research Plan (Arabic) 50 23 26 28 59 41 33 Total Students 1785 2.4.1 Scholarships The number of Master's scholarships offered by SQU to students in 2013 is shown in Table 2.4.1. The largest share of these scholarships was allocated to the College of Science (20 Scholarships) and the College of Arts and Social Sciences (20 Scholarships). Table 2.4.2 demonstrates the number of Doctoral scholarships offered by SQU to students in 2013. The largest shares of scholarships was allocated to the Colleges of Science and the College of Agricultural Marine Sciences (5 scholarships). 10 Table 2.4.1: Distribution of Masters Scholarships by College in 2013 Colleges Approved Awarded Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences Economics and Political Science Education Engineering Law Medicine and Health Sciences Science Total 4 19 9 10 5 3 8 20 78 10 20 9 10 9 4 10 20 92 Table 2.4.2 Distribution of PhD Scholarships by Colleges in 2013 Colleges Approved Awarded 5 5 2 2 2 1 4 3 5 5 Agricultural and Marine Sciences Arts and Social Sciences Engineering Medicine and Health Sciences Science 20 Science 8 Medicine & Health Sciences 5 3 3 Law 5 Engineering 1 10 Education 9 Commerce & Economics 19 Arts & Social Sciences 4 Agricultural & Marine Sciences 0 2 5 5 MSc 10 15 20 25 PhD Figure 2.4.1 MSc/PhD Scholarships in 2013 11 3 Research Strategy Research is a core mission and a distinguishing feature of many universities. The role of research in universities has evolved over recent decades from the generation and transfer of knowledge through teaching and scientific publications to more direct engagement in the commercialization of research, including publicly funded research. Scholarly achievement in leading universities is currently directed more to innovation and commercialization. These features have major implications for higher education institutions. They reveal tensions among academics about how to balance “basic” research and the pressure to conduct “commercial” research, though basic research is a responsibility of academic research. At the same time, the movement towards greater openness in publicly funded research as a means to disseminate new knowledge quickly and create a more open and collegial research environment also has significant implications for commercialization strategies. Many universities have looked to the commercialization of public research as a way to diversify revenues and/or to strengthen their competitive position in attracting funding, faculty and top students. Institutions are also using new approaches to technology transfer: the model of university technology transfer and licensing offices has become increasing diversified, while new approaches to ownership of intellectual property through university research are emerging. Strategic Goal To generate internationally recognized research of impact on the socio-economic development of the country. Strategy A: Expand applied research to address socio-economic needs. 3.1 Initiatives 1. Identify and develop the strengths of SQU in line with national and regional research priorities. 2. Prioritize research funding to address socio-economic needs. 3. Promote innovation-driven research. 4. Engage in applied research, innovation and commercialization in areas relevant to Oman. 5. Target external research funding opportunities at both national and international levels. 6. Use SQU‟s capability to transfer knowledge to local organizations. Strategy B: Promote multidisciplinary research. Initiatives: 1. Expand support for strategic research programmes which are of national, regional and industrial importance, such as energy, biotechnology, nano-science and technology, genetics, environment, enhanced oil recovery and food security. 12 2. Expand multidisciplinary research from internal research grants as a strategy to attract external research grants. 3. Expand effective partnerships within the university (inter-college, college-centre, interdepartment) and with leading international institutions to develop sustainable research. Strategy C: Adopt an appropriate research management system. Initiatives: 1. Introduce a progressively decentralized research management mechanism. 2. Develop a periodical research performance appraisal system based on research output indicators. Strategy D: Develop research partnerships with industry and business. 1. Promote SQU locally as a center of expertise in areas of research strength. 2. Expand collaborative projects that are directed towards solving industrial, social and cultural problems. 3. Solicit funds from industry and business. Strategy E: Develop collaborative research programmes with national and international research institutions. Initiatives 1. Strengthen strategic research endeavors with national and international universities and research institutes. 2. Solicit funds from regional and international funding bodies. Strategy F: Promote innovative research outcomes. Initiatives 1. Continue to encourage research publication in prestigious journals as well as research output of significant local relevance. 2. Recognize, encourage and reward excellence in research and innovation. 3. Promote scientific meetings to develop outstanding locally-initiated research activities and ideas. 4. Communicate information regarding research outcomes to beneficiaries. Strategy G: Adopt international indicators to evaluate research activities and outcomes. Initiatives 1. Identify international research indicators. 2. Identify appropriate research indicators of national relevance. 3. Facilitate the registration and protection of intellectual property at regional and international level. 4. Establish an annual “Best Innovative Research” award. 5. Organize a regular innovative research exhibition based on SQU research 13 4 FUNDING AND RESEARCH AREAS 4.1 Introduction The Research Department in the Deanship of Research administer six types of funding schemes. The following sections report some statistic about the research projects funded under each of the funding schemes. 4.2 Internal Grants In 2013, internal grants (IG) were awarded to 63 projects at a total cost of RO 470,195. Sciencebased colleges (Medicine and Health sciences, Science, Engineering, Agricultural and Marine Sciences and Nursing) received 75% of the total budget to support these projects. Table 4.2.1 lists the distribution (by college/center) of the 36 IG projects funded in 2013. Table 4.2.1: Internal Grants for 2013 (listed by College/Centre) IG Budget Allocation College/Centre Agricultural & Marine Sciences Science Engineering Medicine & Health Sciences Nursing Economics & Political Science Art & Social Sciences Education Research Centres Language Centre Total Number 7 16 11 12 5 2 3 5 1 1 63 2013 Allocated 79,900 91,150 80,000 75,500 24,503 16,100 34,280 56,725 9,537 2,500 470,195 % 17 20 17 16 5 3 7 12 2 1 100 14 The distribution of all projects among major research themes for 2013 is presented in Table 4.2.2. Table 4.2.2 Number of Projects Supported by Internal Grants for 2013 (listed by Research Theme) Theme 2013 Environmental and Biological Research 5 Energy and Non-renewable Resources Research 1 Life and Health Sciences Research Humanities and Social Sciences Research 18 6 Information and Communication Systems Research 6 Fundamental Research 11 Materials Research 6 Educational Research 6 Industry-related Research 4 Total 63 The number of IG funded projects completed in 2013 and their distribution by college/centre is shown in Table 4.2.3. Table 4.2.3 Number of Completed Projects Funded by Internal Grants in 2013 (listed by College/Centre) College/Centre 2013 College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences 31 College of Science 21 College of Engineering 12 College of Medicine and Health Sciences 23 College of Nursing 2 College of Economics and Political Science 4 College of Arts & Social Sciences 2 College of Education 4 College of Law 1 Language Centre 2 Research Centres 3 Total 105 15 4.3 Joint Grants In 2013, five projects were approved between SQU and UAEU with the total budget of OMR 90,000. Also in 2013, Prof. Saeed Al Yahyaee from SQU and Dr. Bassam Ali from UAEU successfully completed the first phase of the project “Molecular epidemiology and Diagnosis of Inborn Metabolic Disorder both in Oman and in UEA”. Table 4.3 Provides details about the joint grants awarded in 2013 in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU). Table 4.3: Joint SQU-UAEU Grants at SQU in 2013 Principal # College Theme Investigator 1 2 3 4 5 COE COE COS COS COMHS Dr. Abdullah AlSaidy Dr. Arunachalam Ramanathan Dr. Salim Al-Harthi Dr. FakhrEldin O. Suliman Material Research Energy and Nonrenewable Resources Energy and Nonrenewable Resources Budget (RO) Title Composite Rebars for Reinforcing Concrete Structure in Reinforcing of Severe Environment Nano Enhanced Supercapacitor for Energy Storage (NESES) Nano Enhanced Supercapacitor for Energy Storage (NESES) Investigation of Photostability of some Drugs Life and in the presence of Health Science Cyclodextrins in Aqueous Research Solution Dr. Fahad Al-Zadjali Life and Analysis of Molecular & Dr. Starling Health Science Epigenetic Programing of Emerald Research Diabetes Mellitus 20,000 20,000 10,000 20,000 20,000 Table 4.3.1: SQU-UAE University Joint/Collaborative Projects in 2013 No. of projects 2 1 1 Research Area Life and Health Sciences and Fundamental Research Energy and Non-renewable Resources Material Research Amount (RO) 40,000 30,000 20,000 16 4.4 His Majesty’s Trust Funds (HMTF) In the year 2013, a total of 11 strategic research proposals were submitted. Based on the recommendations of external and internal referees and on the presentations given by the Principal Investigators and ensuing discussions with the Research Board members, six proposals were selected for the award as shown in Table 4.4.1. The total amounts of the grants were OMR 487,350. Five HMTF projects were completed in 2013 (Table 4.4.2). At present 22 projects (Agricultural and Marine Sciences 3, Medicine and Health Sciences 4, Science 4, Arts 2, Economics and Political Science 2, Nursing 1 and Education 6) are on-going. Table 4.4.1: HMTF Research Proposals Approved in 2013 # College 1 Dr. Mohamed COMHS Khalid 2 CEPS Dr. Yousuf Salim Al-Hinai 3 CED Dr. Hashem Adnan Kilani 4 CAMS 5 6 PI Dr. Abdullah Mohamed AlSadi Dr. Esra Al CON Khasawneh Dr. Fahad COMHS Mahmood AlZadjali Themes Life and Health Sciences Humanities and Social Sciences Life and Health Sciences Environmental and Biological Life and Health Sciences Life and Health Sciences Title Design and Development of biologically active artificial bone with precise anatomical shapes and sizes Creating a Strategic Presence in Social Media: A Framework for the Utilization of Social Media by Government Agencies in Oman Assessment of Life Style: Physical activity, Nutrition Status, Sleep Duration, and BMI Among Schools‟ Adolescents in Oman (1418) Characterizing the nature of resistance to Witches‟ broom disease in Omani lime Breast Cancer Awareness Among Omani Women Identification of Novel Therapeutic Targets for InflammatoryAssociated Human Disorders Budget (OMR) 125,000 80,000 45,350 82,300 60,500 94,200 17 Table 4.4.2: Completed HMTF Research Projects in 2013 # College 1 CAMS Dr. Mushtaque Ahmed Environmental and Biological 2 CASS Dr. Ibrahim. E. Soghayrourn Humanities and Social Sciences 3 COS Dr. Haider AlLawati Material Research 4 COMHS Dr. David Dennison Life and Health Sciences 5 CAMS Dr. Abdullah Al-Sadi Environmental and Biological 4.5 PI Themes Title Feasibility of Managed Aquifer Recharge Using Excess Treated Wastewater in Oman The Sources of the History of Omani- East African Relations: 1624 – 1963: A Critical and Analytical Study. Developing Microfluidic Systems for Routine Analysis of Pharmaceutical samples Establishment of a national facility in stem cell translational research for novel cellular-based therapies and tissue repair Potential sources of soil-borne plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria into farms in Oman Budget (OMR) 85,000 30,000 80,000 120,000 95,600 The Research Council (TRC) Grants The Research Council awarded 13 grants to SQU projects in 2013. The total amounts awarded for these projects were OMR 1,683,128. The colleges of Engineering and Science were granted two (2) project and the colleges of Medicine and Health Sciences, Education and the Researches Centres have 3 projects respectively. Table 4.5 shows the distribution of TRC grants by college/centre. Table 4.5: The Research Council Grants Awarded to SQU in 2013 (listed by College/Centre) # College 1 CED 2 CIRC COMHS 3 PI Theme Dr. Ali Sharaf Al-Mosawi EDR Prof. Hadj Bourdoucen ICS Dr. Poovathoor Chacko Jacob LHS Title Effectiveness of e-Lab Use in Science Teaching at the Sultanate Schools Reduction of Road Traffic Accidents Using Alert Message Dissemination in Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks A Comprehensive study of CNS demyelinating disorders in Omani Patients: Clinical Profile, Serological Profile of Neuromyelitis Optica Autoantibody, Optical Coherence Tomographic abnormalities and Alterations in Bone Mineral Density and Metabolism Budget (RO) 72,500 100,200 156,650 18 4 OGRC 5 CED Dr. Wajeha Thabet Khadem Al-Ani EDR Preparation And Charaterization Of Gas Separation And Purification Membranes A Proposed Strategy for the Activation of Voluntary Work in Educational Institutions as an Added Value in Light of the Requirements Of Sustainable Human Development in The Sultanate of Oman Clinical and genetic characteristics of hbs_oman: a severe unrevealed form of sickel cell disease. Prof. Yasser Ahmed Wali LHS EBR COS Dr. El-Said Ibrahim A. Al-Shafey 8 COE Dr. Gholamreza Gholam Nejad IRR CO2-Oil Minimum Miscibility Pressure Estimation for the Omani Oils 9 COMHS Dr. Hamza Ali Babiker Mohamed LHS Theilera in Oman: molecular epidemiology and disease 6 7 COMHS Dr. Khaled MAR Mohamed El-Zarouk CED Dr. Abdulla Khamis Ali Ambusaidi EDR 11 GISC Dr. Andrews Yaw Kwarteng EBR 12 COS Dr. Abdullahi Umar EBR Dr. Nasser Ahmed Zahran Al-Azri ENR 10 13 Total COE Hospital wastewater treatment using modified carbonaceous sorbents from Omani date palm leaflets Establishing and researching school gardens in Oman as a resource for improving education outcomes Remote Sensing and Geospatial Data Analysis of Barr Al Hikman Intertidal Ecosystem: Implications of Cascading Predator-prey Effects in a Pristine Seagrassbased Food Web Studies in Semigroups of Contraction Mappings of A finite Chain Solar Power Generation And Solar Cooling Cogeneration 126,400 68,000 35,700 141,978 205,500 193,200 122,300 139,700 58,800 262,200 1,683,128 19 4. 6 Consultancy Services (CS) Thirty (30) consultancy agreements with a net worth of OMR 1,984,653 were signed in 2013. The College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences obtained the largest funds amounting OMR 851,148 with 8 projects (43%) and the Research Centers (36%) with OMR 720,197. Following were colleges of Science 13%, Engineering with 10%, Medicine and Health Sciences 7% and Arts and Social Sciences 3% as shown in Table 4.6.1. Table 4.6.2 lists the consultancy services by themes. Table 4.6.1: Consultancy Services at SQU in 2013 (by College/Centres) College No. of projects Amount (RO) 8 851,148 2 7 8 4 1 720,197 189,353 160,000 35,944 28,011 30 1,984,653 College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences Research Centres College of Engineering College of Arts and Social Sciences College of Science College of Medicine and Health Sciences Total Table 4.6.2 Consultancy Services at SQU in 2013 (by Theme) Theme No. of projects Amount (OMR) Environmental and Biological Energy and Non-Renewable Resources 11 942,098 5 604,707 Humanities and Social Sciences 4 247,906 Fundamental Research 3 116,588 Industry-related Research 4 59,154 Material Research 2 12,400 Information and Communication Systems 1 1800 Total 30 1,984,653 20 4.7 External Grants (EG) Table 4.7.1 lists the externally funded projects in 2013 not including the project funded by the Research Council. The Centre for Marine Biotechnology obtained the highest fund of OMR 44,600 representing 37%. Table 4.7.1 External Grants at SQU in 2013 Principal Investigator # College/Centre 1. College of Medicine and Health Sciences 2. College of Engineering College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences 4. Water Research Center 5. Water Research Center Center of Excellence in Marine 6. Biotechnology Total 3. 4.8 Theme Yasser Wali LHS Mahmoud Ibrahim Masoud Ahmed AL Busaidi ENR Ali AL-Maktoumi Ahmed AL Busaidi Stephen Goddard EBR EBR EBR EBR Budget (OMR) 6,176 3,953 20,000 5,786 20,000 44,600 119, 263 Trends in Funding The funds available for internal grants (IG) and His Majesty‟s Trust Fund (HMTF) are more or less fixed at about RO 500,000 per annum for each of IG and HMTF categories. At times all the funds are not utilized in HMTF and the amount in surplus is carried over to the following year and is also used for the top up of projects in need of additional funds to complete the research work. Figure 4.8.1 trends the consultancy services in SQU from 2010- 2013 showing a remarkable increase of 51% in 2013. 21 2500000 Amount RO 2000000 1,984,653 1500000 1295407 1018731 1000000 500000 458584 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 Years Fig. 4.8.1 The trend in Consultancy Services/Contract Funding, 2010- 2013 2500000 Anount RO 2000000 1,996,964 1,683,128 1500000 1,292,423 1000000 890,200 500000 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 Years Fig. 4.8.2 The trend in The Research Council Funding, 2010- 2013 22 5 RESEARCH OUTPUT 5.1 Introduction The number of publications from all colleges with the exception of the College of Law in 2013 is shown in Figure 5.1 distributed by college. The publication output by all Colleges except the Colleges of Education, Economics and Political Science, Nursing and Engineering was higher in 2013 than in 2011 and in 2012. There was a considerable increase in the output of the Colleges of Arts and Social Sciences, Science, and Medicine and Health Sciences in 2013. 600 550 Number of Publications 524 500 400 300 333 293 253 247 200 81 100 42 22 0 CASS CAMS CED COE CEPS COMHS CON COS COL Colleges Table 5.1 Distribution of all publications in 2013 by colleges 5.2 Publication Output by Categories In 2013, the College of Medicine and Health Sciences was by far leading the other colleges in terms of number of journal publications followed by the College of Science, Education, Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Engineering and then Arts and Social Sciences. The remaining three colleges ( Nursing, Economics and Political Science, and Law) produced a considerably lower number of journal papers. In general, the total number of publications has increased from 1,899 in 2012 to 2,345 in 2013 (a nearly 24% increase). Table 5.2 Distribution of publication by categories for all colleges of SQU in 2013 Book Conference Technical Others Total College Journal Books Papers CASS CAMS CED COE CEPS COMHS CON COS COL Totals 111 137 148 136 25 411 44 178 3 1,193 42 1 8 1 3 6 61 Chapters Papers Reports 27 25 3 4 1 14 3 6 83 113 142 135 93 16 125 34 60 10 728 15 19 3 37 13 230 243 293 333 524 253 42 550 81 247 22 2,345 23 In 2013, the total number of refereed journal and conference papers published in SQU was 1,921 of which 728 are conference papers. The combined category of peer reviewed papers and conference proceedings accounted for 82 % of all publications. 5.3 Internationally Recognized Publications The number of SQU publication recorded in the SCOPUS international database for 2013 is 965 of which 51% are in the combined category of journal and conference papers. This represents a significant increase of 50% compared to 2012 as illustrated in figure 5.3.1 1200 Number of Publications 1000 965 800 642 568 600 406 400 200 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Number of Published Manuscripts Fig.5.3.1 SCOPUS listed publications for 2013 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 417 119 107 92 68 67 64 63 61 49 43 43 37 27 21 Major Discpline in SQU Fig.5.3.2 The distribution of SCOPUS recognized publications in 2013 at SQU by disciplines 24 SCOPUS, lists 1,473 research publications for the year 2013 for the whole of Oman. This list includes publications from the institutions in Oman, and also from other foreign institutions which have research activities in Oman. Number of Publication Manuscripts Sultan Qaboos University 1,600 1,400 1,411 1,200 1,000 800 600 400 200 0 2013 Fig.5.3.3 Number of SQU‟s recognized publications in 2013 25 6 RESEARCH IMPACT 6.1 Introduction Academic research for the sake of improving the knowledge base in theoretical and applied areas of science and humanities is essential. However, the products of research efforts should go beyond this and must have a positive impact on the society in general and the nation in particular. This impact is not necessarily in the form of financial returns and benefits alone but also on non-material benefits accrued by the Omani society. It is an added value if this impact ripples through the region and beyond. In 2013 However, in this section, selected examples of impact creating research from seven research themes are presented. These are (i) Environment and Biology Research (EBR), (ii) Energy and Non-renewable Resources (ENR), (iii) Life and Health Sciences (LHS), (iv) Humanities and Social Sciences, (HSS) (v) Education Research (EDR) and (vi) Material Research (MR) 6.2 Environmental and Biological Research (EBR) 6.2.1 Feasibility of Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) using Excess Treated Wastewater in Oman Mushtaque Ahmed (PI) 1, Anvar Kacimov (Co-PI) 1, Ali Al Maktoomi1, Salem Al Jabri1, Malik Al Wardy1, Slim Zekri2, Hamed Al Busaidi1, Mahad Baawain3, Osman Abdallah 4 Salem Al Hakawati5, Yuri Obnosov6, Nurul Akhand7 (Co-Investigators) 1 Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, 2Dept of Natural Resource Economics, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University (SQU), 3Dept of Civil & Architectural Engineering, College of Engineering, SQU, 4Dept of Earth Sciences, College of Science, SQU, 5Oman Wastewater Services Company (Haya Water), 6Kazan State University, Russia, 7International Center for Bio saline Research UAE + Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) is practiced widely to store water during periods of surpluses and withdraw water during periods of deficit from an aquifer. It consist of injecting water into the aquifer through recharge wells or infiltration ponds. Aquifers are a very good means of storing water and MAR have minimum requirement surface land area and can be used to mitigate sea water intrusion. MAR also has some disadvantages: only part of the water can be recovered and the quality of the aquifer may be affected by the water injected. The feasibility of MAR depends on the physical properties of soils, on the cost of processing wastewater and injecting it in the aquifer and on the local hydrogeology of the aquifer. The main aims of this study were thus to evaluate cost (including wastewater availability), to model the behavior of the aquifer under various recharge schemes and to estimate the impact of MAR on groundwater quality and quantity. An economic model was developed to estimate the cost of treatment and further treatment of wastewater to reach international standards and compared to experiences in MAR carried out elsewhere. A series of numerical models were then used to quantify the rates and volumes of recharging water and its fate under various recharging and recovering scenarios according to the specific geological characteristics of the chosen experimental area of lower Samail catchment near Seeb. 26 In Muscat, there will likely be a surplus of 100,000 m /day of treated effluent (TE) during winter months by 2015. The aquifer along the northern coast of Oman (Lower Samail Catchment) is conducive for MAR. Treated effluents volumes are likely to increase from 7.6 Mm in 2003 to 70.9 Mm in 2035. HYDRUS 3D simulations showed that, areas with sandy loam soils are suited for infiltration ponds and numerical simulations with MODFLOW (in combination with PEST and GWM) show that injection wells can be used for recharge without causing undue water ponding. An economic analysis was done to see the cost of MAR on the basis of the assumption that for advanced treatment before injection a 85,000 m /day single pass RO system with feed pressure of 13.6 bar has to be used. The analysis is based on a 30 yr period with 5% interest rate (assuming that the project will be undertaken by the Government of Oman). Preliminary analysis has shown that a minimum cost of USD 0.353/m will be incurred for further Reverse Osmosis (RO) membrane treatment and injection. The research showed that an advanced treatment of the excess effluent and subsequent recharging of aquifers is a technically feasible project. The Samail lower catchment is suitable as location for MAR. However, the financial analysis results have shown that the project will require government financial incentives to make it a reality. Furthermore, in order to be implemented issues such as ownership of the water, quality requirements of recharged water, uses of such waters, health and safety considerations and cost recovery need to be considered before a final decision is made. 27 6.2.2 Whole Wheat Products Development and Awareness Creation in Oman Manickavasagan Annamalai (PI) 1 Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Whole grain foods are key sources of health promoting nutrients, including dietary fiber, resistant starch, antioxidant, trace minerals, certain vitamins, and phytonutrients, and play important roles in disease prevention. Despite recommendations of a consumption of whole grain in excess of 3 servings per day, the consumption levels in Oman are low, around one serving per day and decreasing. A research project was initiated in collaboration with the industry (Atyab Food Tech) and the IIC (Industrial Innovation Center) to (1) assess awareness and attitude towards whole grain products and its current level of consumption; (2) reformulate traditional food products (Samoon, Khubs and Rikhal) to include a higher proportion of whole grain flour while maintaining consumer approval; (3) assess the nutritional value and sensory perception of these new products. The first objectives are assessed using questionnaires in a stratified sampling strategy around the Sultanate. For the second objectives, recipes of traditional foods with increasing proportion (0%, 50%, and 100%, whole wheat flour) were prepared and baked according to the standards used in the industry. The sensory values of these products were estimated from 30 untrained panelist working in the bread industry and their nutritional values were assessed by chemical analysis. Although 95% of the interviewed household declared baking wheat product at home, less than 10% bought whole wheat flour. Similarly, although people eat rice 5-7 days a week, less than 5% of the households declared to have consumed brown rice. On average, however, 60% of the respondents were aware of the health benefits of whole grain and whole wheat and 90% responded they were willing to consume whole wheat bread regularly. There was a higher awareness of the health benefits of whole wheat among male respondents. There was no significant effect of family income on the consumption of whole wheat products. As expected, the overall nutritional values of all recipes were very similar with the exception of fibers that were up to 5 times higher in whole wheat recipes. A value index was calculated to account for both nutritional quality (protein + fibers) and sensory value (appearance, color, mouth feel and taste). For all three products the reported value index was considerably higher for the whole wheat product. This was a result of a higher nutritional value but also of a clear preference of the panelist for the whole wheat product in terms of taste and mouth feel. Color of the crust was the only characteristic for which panelists gave a low score. A large scale awareness campaign of the nutritional benefit of whole grain is necessary to increase awareness among some part of the population. Although whole grain products have clearly a better mouth feel and taste, the unfamiliar color and taste for some consumers may warrant the creation of 50/50 products and perhaps smaller whole wheat samoon for children to be consumed as sandwiches with various filling. 28 6.2.3 Potential Sources of Soil-borne Plant Pathogenic Fungi into Farms in Oman Abdullah Al-Sadi Crop Sciences Department, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences Tomatoes and cucurbits, mainly watermelon, muskmelon and cucumber, are considered the most important vegetable crops in Oman, occupying almost 20% of the area devoted for vegetable production in the country. Although the demand for these vegetable crops has increased over the last years, production has been constrained by increasing disease problems. Fungal pathogens which survive in soil, also named soil borne pathogens, represent the biotic factors most limiting profitable production in soil based systems. Losses from some soil borne pathogens, e.g. Pythium spp. and Fusarium spp., have been reported to exceed 90% of plants in some farms in Oman. Soil borne fungal pathogens can attack seeds in the soil and kill them or attack emerging seedlings and mature plants and result in wilt and subsequent death. This has resulted into an excessive use of chemicals which results in hazards to humans and the environment. Proper management of soil borne diseases of tomatoes and cucurbits in Oman has been limited by two main factors. The first factor is related to continuous introduction of new or more aggressive soil borne pathogens into Oman from abroad via unknown sources. Investigations in the last years have indicated recent introductions of new pathogens into Oman that previously did not occur in the country. Although over 100 different types of potting mixtures and organic fertilizers are imported from abroad and used by growers, little is known about their role in dissemination of fungal pathogens into Oman. In addition, apart from efforts by quarantine officers in screening these samples, the lack of appropriate, fast and reliable screening techniques for fungal contamination in potting mixtures and organic fertilizers represents a challenge to successful detection of contaminated products at borders. The other problem is related to re-occurrence of soil-borne diseases in fallow soil or cultivated soil following chemical treatment. Starting with new fields with no previous history of cultivation (fallow soil) is a preferable choice for vegetable producers in different parts of the world. Alternatively, growers replace the top layer of cultivated soil with fallow soil imported from outside the farm or fumigate the cultivated soil to kill microorganisms in it. Re-occurrence of soil-borne diseases in fallow soil and treated soil raises questions concerning factors contributing to re-introduction of soil borne pathogens into farms and subsequent increased levels of diseases in soil with no previous history of cultivation. It is therefore not clear whether irrigation water, equipment or any of the grower's practices could contribute to increased levels of diseases in their farms. The overall objective of the proposed study is to investigate the potential sources of fungal pathogens into farms in Oman. Another objective is to help in development or selection of proper screening tools or methods to be used by quarantine officers over the long term for assessment of sources by which plant pathogens enter Oman. The emphasis in this study will be on cucurbits and tomatoes, the top two vegetable crops in terms of production in Oman. Knowledge of potential sources of fungi and the way by which they circulate in farms should provide valuable information to underpin the development of integrated disease management strategies which include prevention of introduction of fungi into farms. 29 6.3 Energy and Non-Renewable Resources Research (ENR) 6.3.1 Solar and Wind Energy Prospects in Oman Yassine Al Charaabi 1 Abdullah Al-Badi,2 Jumaa Al-Maskari3 and Saleh Al-Alawi4 College of Arts and Social Sciences, College of Engineering Oman and even the GCC region lack accurate data and information about the potential use of renewable energies. Oman has so far 30 meteorological stations providing measurement of ground wind speed and only 9 stations providing data on solar radiation. So far very little research has been conducted on Oman's prospect to use renewable energies such as wind and solar energies. The proposed research project will investigate the solar and wind energy prospects in Oman through analysis of wide geographical and meteorological data and development of models and maps. The project is planned for four consecutive years and will involve investigators from Sultan Qaboos University, partners from Public organizations (Ministry of Environment & Climatic Affairs and Ministry of Transport & Communications, and Authority for Electricity Regulations) International organizations (e.g. NREL in USA), two technicians from SQU, one PhD student and several undergraduate students from SQU. The outcomes of this research will be very useful to the country and will be used as accurate and trustful references in different categories: research and consultancy, economic growth and energy planning, and business/investment planning. At the same time it will develop expertise and more awareness about renewable energies in Oman. The main objectives of the proposed research are: 1) Establish an accurate experimental database of wind and solar insolation in Oman. 2) Investigate the potentials and locations of applying solar and wind energy resources for electricity generation in Oman. 3) Develop solar and wind resources maps for Oman which show their prospects to best solar and wind energy technologies investment opportunities in the country. 4) Develop local expertise and knowledge base for researchers, decision makers, investors and businessmen 30 6.4 Life and Health Sciences Research (LHR) 6.4.1 Evaluation of the Physical Fitness Status in Female Members of Some Omani National Teams. Hala Ali Mours, Majed Albusafi, Mahfoodha Alkitani, Mansour Altoqi, Ali Al- Yaroubi Physical Education Department, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University The aim of this study is to evaluate physiological, psychological and fitness status of the female Omani national teams through the use of designed test and measurements. The study will be conducted on female athletes in some selected sports namely: track and field, volleyball, basketball, handball, bowling and tennis. The researchers of this study try to evaluate the physical condition through different directions (physical, psychological and physiological) to determine the extent of the causal relationship linking these aspects together, and then propose solutions to improve the physical performance of these girls. Physiological and fitness status of the female members of track and field team were evaluated through the use of designed test and measurements. The method included taking the anthropometric measurements of the participant and measuring power, speed, flexibility, endurance and agility. To complete the psychological aspect of the study, a physical status description questionnaire will be applied. The study is the first study to be conducted on female Omani national teams‟ athletes and it is hoped to lay a foundation for further research in the future. Coping of the Physical Education with scientific development is considered crucial to reach high levels in various sports activities, so it was necessary to focus on the physical, psychological and physiological status of the players. Therefore, the researchers through their observation of the female members of the national teams level spotted that the players may rely on their training mainly on physical exercises and they might have neglected the psychological perception of their condition during training, which may adversely affect their performance. 31 6.4.2 Physical Fitness Attributes Vitamin D, Depression and BMD in Omani's Children Hashem Kilani, Saif Alyaarubi, Kashef Zayed, Ibrahim Alzakwani, Hadia Bererhi, Raghda Shukri and Khalid Alrasadi Physical Education Department, College of Education, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman;Child Health Department, College of Medicine Sultan Qaboos University, Oman Some people in Oman live sufficiently high in the mountains for more Ultraviolet (UV) -B to reach their skins. However, many people in Oman do not expose their skin to sunlight due to the modern society they are living in. Children in such a society are kept safe from sun exposure spend a great deal of time indoors with video hi-tech games, computers, play stations and TV. Besides, they tend to imitate what they see from media to get the junk food and increase the sedentary life time. It is imperative to assess children in Oman where sun exposure is limited and inactive lifestyles are prevalent with respect to BMD and vitamin D status. Physical assessment would also be of interest to compare and classify children according to whether they have high or low fitness levels. Muscle and bone strength in health-related physical fitness profile for an age range of between 5 and 20 years will be determined. Physical fitness attributes, vitamin D, depression, and BMD in Omani‟s Children 9-12 years old were investigated in 54 girls and 42 boys (average age of 12.9 ± 1.6) to assess health related fitness, body composition. Eighty two percent of the females and forty two percent of the males were deficient in vitamin D (<50 nmol/L). Those females deficit in vitamin D were associated with higher fat percentage compared to those with normal vitamin D status. There were no significant differences in all physical exercise attribute scores (p > 0.05) in females between those with normal and those with low vitamin D levels. These results were also replicated in males except for grip and cardio-respiratory components. Initial analysis also indicates that the prevalence of symptoms of depression among Omani children was 32% ranging from mild to severe depression with negative correlation with vitamin D deficiency is significant at the 0.01 level (-0.353 2-tailed). The females are deficient in vitamin D, might be susceptible to the early diagnosis of osteoporosis and depression due to their deficiency. Children should be involved in physical activity program and meet the required sunlight exposure during all seasons to gain a healthy lifestyle. 32 6.4.3 Establishment of a National Facility in Stem Cell Translational Research for Novel Cellular-based Therapies and Tissue Repair David Dennison Hematology Department, College of Medicine and Health Sciences Over the past decade the potential of stem cell therapy in the treatment of human diseases has generated intense research initiatives worldwide. Unlike embryonic stem cells which are associated with ethical constraints, technology is now available to harvest multi-potential stem cells from adult peripheral blood and bone marrow and to utilize them for research in tissue repair. Laboratory studies have already shown the ability of stem cells from adults to differentiate into specialized cells and preliminary animal and human studies have demonstrated evidence of regeneration and restoration of function when these cells are injected into diseased non-hematopoietic tissue. Nevertheless much more work needs to be done before such therapy becomes a practical reality. This project seeks to establish a facility for stem cell translational research and thereby to set the stage for stem cell-mediated novel therapies within the country. Once the laboratory aspects of the stem cell facility have been set up, we propose to investigate human osteogenic cell differentiation and the clinical utilization of stem cells in sickle cell disease-related osteonecrosis. This disorder, which is a complication of sickle cell disease, is highly prevalent in the country and accounts for a significant amount of disability in the young Omani population. As conventional surgical treatment is not curative, it is one of the disorders for which cellular therapy could have a potential role. The long term goal of this project is to provide a platform for future basic science and clinical researchers to investigate the role of cellular therapy for patients with other incapacitating disorders for which no adequate therapy exists to date. 33 6.5 Humanities and Social Sciences Research (HSR) 6.5.1 An Analysis on Optimal Plan on New-Planting and Replanting of Date Palm in Oman through a Multiperiod Linear Programming Optimization Model Hemesiri Kotagama (PI) 1 , Slim Zekri (Co-PI) 1 , Hemanatha Jayasuriya (Co-I) 2 , Juma AlMusalami (Co-I) 1 1 Department of Natural Resource Economics, 2Dept of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Date palm is among the most significant crop, both culturally and socio-economically, in the Sultanate of Oman. Since 2000, the cultivated extent, productivity and production of date fruits have stagnated at around 200000 tons and nearly 37% of date palm trees are more than 50 years old. The Government of the Sultanate has implemented a program to rejuvenate the sector by planting 1 million trees. These trees could either be planted as new trees requiring additional land, water and other resources or alternatively replace aged and unproductive trees without additional commitment of land or water. Replanting of perennial crops is an agronomic practice that maximizes and sustains long term benefits and although the optimal age for replanting has been estimated for many crops, it has not yet been scientifically estimated for date palm. The aim of this study is thus to provide such estimate using mathematical models resting on a solid data sets (both historical and collected for the purpose of this study) of production, water consumption, value of crop etc. using both a Comparison of Equivalent Annual Net Revenue (CEAN) and a Multiperiod Linear Programming Optimization Model. The Khalas variety of date was considered for this study and the age-yield relationship was estimated as a parabola with maximum yield at age 32 approximately. The base data used in the models were an average price of 0.250 OR/kg, a cost of cultivation of 914 OR/ha, a tree density of 125 trees per ha and an interest rate of 4%. Both models suggested an optimal replanting age between 50-55 years of age that was mostly sensitive to the interest rate with low interest rate shortening the optimal age of replanting. Changes in price, yield and cost did not change the optimal age of replanting. The model also estimated that adopting such optimal replanting strategy would increase the total revenue of the sector by 7 million OR/ year (13% of the 2011 value for the sector). The model can easily be scaled at the scale of a region, a farm or a whole country. 34 6.5.2 A Proposed Strategy to Activate Volunteering Educational Institutions Added Value in the Light of the Requirements of Sustainable Human Development in Sultanate of Oman Al-Ani, Wajeha Educational Foundations & Administration, College of Education Voluntary work, as a social practice and social service provider, represents one of the key features and main pillars in building and sustaining a civil society. Besides, volunteer work is a human practice that reflects the conscience of the society due to its association with every sense of the goodness and virtue of humanitarian work. The absence of clear vision for volunteerism in accordance with the educational system and its organizational structure and cultural fabric of society is one of the most prominent obstacles to maintaining unity, effectiveness, integration and development of society. Based on these facts, Sultan Qaboos Prize for Volunteer Work was launched in February 2011, which reflects the importance of volunteerism as a means for the development of Omani society socially, economically and culturally; and also considered as added value to development efforts within the community. Given the diversity of the areas of volunteer work and the multiplicity of patterns, forms and types; limiting the voluntary work in the Sultanate to the activities of Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) and charities which confined their work in raising money and do not include other vital areas of economic, social, educational, cultural and health, is not compatible with the concept of volunteer work and its objectives and diverse fields that involves all the institutions of society. From this point, this research project aims to develop an integrated national strategy for voluntary work in the Sultanate of Oman because of its added value and positive impact in the sustainable human development process and its requirements, through the following objectives: 1- Provide empirical data about the reality of voluntary work of different types, fields and forms in the Sultanate of Oman. 2- Provide unified measurement tools -of high credibility- to measure the motives of the Omani society members for voluntary work of all groups and demographic characteristics. 3- Set a digital classification and voluntary work characterization in the Omani society, and publish it in an electronic directory that includes e-file for each volunteer across the Sultanate of Oman. 4- Analyze the role of voluntary work in educational institutions and its relationship to sustainable human development in the Sultanate of Oman. 5- Develop a proposed strategy with implementation mechanisms for voluntary work in the Sultanate of Oman that includes training, educational and developmental programs guide in the field of voluntary work with the implementation mechanisms to serve mission of the Sultanate of Oman in the light of sustainable development. The study population consists of all male and female youth enrolled in government and private higher education institutions, about (88705) individuals; employees of NGOs and charities in Sultanate of Oman, about (123) volunteer foundations; Winners of Sultan Qaboos Prize for Volunteer Work in its first and second cycles; and (100) local and international specialist and expert in the field of voluntary work. 35 The research methodology in this project is based on the Triangulation method in the analysis of the phenomenon studied, using three integrated research tools to collect quantitative and qualitative data. This method will be used because the diversity nature of the variables and factors involved in voluntary work and its social, economic and cultural impact on the society. The research tools are: 1- Volunteer Motivation Inventory (VMI), a global scale in the field of voluntary work. It will be customized according to the cultural context of the Omani society. 2- International Standard Classification of Occupation, a global measure used in the classification of voluntary work patterns according to standardized criteria approved by the (UN General Assembly, 2001). It will be customized according to the cultural context of the Omani society. 3- Interview form for experts who will be interviewed which will be related to the subject of study. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program will used in the analysis the quantitative data and (NVivo) program will be used in the analysis of qualitative data. It is expected that this project will provide data and important information to professionals in the Sultanate of Oman that could be used in the planning of voluntary work programs and projects that serve the Omani society in all its sectors and classes, and improve the value of voluntary work and activating the participation of educational institutions and measure the economic dimension and the added value of the voluntary work and its relationship to sustainable development in the Sultanate of Oman, which support the community and the political participation and interest to the voluntary work. 36 6.6 Educational Research (EDR) 6.6.1 Establishing and Researching School Gardens in Oman as a Resource for Improving Education Outcomes Abdullah Ambusaidi1, Rashid Al-Yahyai2 and Fahad Al-Said2 1 Department of Curriculum and Instruction, College of Education, 2Department of Crop Sciences, College of Agricultural and Marine Science, SQU Like many other countries where the standard of living is rising, the Sultanate of Oman is facing a potentially serious increase in what are now termed „lifestyle‟ diseases. These include diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and various forms of cancer. The lifestyle factors that contribute to these diseases are poor diet and limited exercise. The school gardening project outlined in this proposal is intended to improve educational outcomes across the curriculum in the short term but also dietary outcomes in the longer term. There is considerable evidence from research conducted with similar projects in western contexts that when established and run effectively, school gardens can result in improved academic and affective outcomes for children. Furthermore, research evidence suggests that when children grow their own vegetables in a school garden, they are more likely to consume more vegetables as a result. This research project will establish school gardens in six schools across three geographic locations in Oman. Participating students will be draw from grades 2 and 7. The research design will involve a quazi-experimental design employing a mixed methods methodology. Participanting schools will undertake a six-month intervention during which they will establish and maintain a school garden, use it to teach particular topics from across the Omani curriculum and involve students in the preparation and consumption of the garden produce. Pre and post surveys and interviews of students, teachers and parents will be used to determine the educational, affective and potential health outcomes of the project. A book of curriculum related to school gardening activities covering both the primary and secondary years will be developed and published from project funds. This will also include information on establishing and maintaining a school garden and how to set up a garden in the home environment. 37 6.6.2 The Performance of Mass Media towards individuals with Intellectual Disability in the Sultanate of Oman Sahar El Shourbagi, Jalal Al Jarci and Ayda Al Hajri Faculty of Education, Department of Psychology, Sultan Qaboos University Most of the developed countries encourage the social participation of the intellectual disabled persons through adapting strategies to achieve this purpose. So this project aims to studying how to develop the use of the media to increase the disabled person‟s participation in the society. The aim of this study is to investigate individuals' perceptions of the Omani national TV performance towards people with disability. A total of 130 (68 males and 62 females) employees- at disability care centers in Oman- responded to a set of items that tapped their perceptions of the Omani national TV performance towards people with disability. An exploratory factor analysis showed that employees' perceptions can be represented by two factors: (1) performance quality, and (2) performance attractiveness. The two factors correlated positively. Employees' reported low levels of perception of the Omani National TV performance towards people with disability. There were no gender differences in employee's perceptions. 38 6.7 Material Research (MR) 6.7.1 Developing Microfluidic Systems for Routine Analysis of Pharmaceutical Samples Haider Ahmed Al Lawati Chemistry Department, College of Science The hazard chemical waste generated from the growing number of various chemical laboratories in the Sultanate is becoming a major challenge facing these laboratories. One of the most promising approaches to minimize this problem is to miniaturize the chemical systems, such that the amount of chemicals used in these systems is of minimal quantities. The latest development in micro abrication techniques permits miniaturization of the analytical system and reduction of the generated waste by a factor of thousand to hundred thousand. In addition to the advantages inherent in miniaturizing the analytical systems, other merits are associated with the enhanced efficiency with respect to sample and reagent size, response time, cost, analytical throughput and automation. Taking into account these merits we are aiming to develop environmentally safe cost effective, sensitive and highly selective analytical techniques for routine analysis. Various chips will be designed and fabricated to develop complete microfluidic systems for the assay of drugs in pharmaceutical and clinical samples. These samples were selected as model to test the efficiency of the developed systems. Furthermore, the developed method will be validated and compared with the standard methods used in Central Quality Control Laboratories for drug analysis in the Ministry of Health. 39 7 RESEARCH SUPPORT 7.1 Introduction In addition to the research grants that SQU provides annually (Section 4), the University also provides additional research support through hosting conferences, symposia and workshops; publishing refereed journals and books; and providing financial support to attend conferences abroad. The conferences, symposia, workshops and forums have been witnessing notable growth over the years and some of them have been attracting international attention. Similarly the number of researchers participating in conferences has been increasing annually. The University strives to engage relevant governmental and private organizations in these scientific events in order to disseminate research findings and new knowledge to the community. 7.2 Conferences, Symposia and Workshops SQU organized and hosted 9 conferences in 2013 as well as 7 symposia and 5 workshops covering a wide range of topics in science and humanities. The details of these conferences, symposia and workshops are given in Tables 7.2.1- 7.2.6. SQU offers substantial funding for these events which can be supported by additional funds from The Research Council (TRC) and other public and private sector organizations. Table 7.2.1 Conferences organized at SQU in 2013 Section Conference 7.2.1.1 7.2.1.2 7.2.1.3 7.2.1.4 7.2.1.5 7.2.1.6 7.2.1.7 7.2.1.8 7.2.1.9 College/Center Second International Gulf Conference on Patient Medicine and Health Sciences Safety, January 21-23,2013 Free Open Source Software Conference Communication and Information February 18 - 19, 2013 Research Center International Conference on Agricultural Agricultural and Marine Sciences Engineering, February 24-26, 2013 Oman International Vascular Conference Medicine and Health Sciences March 12-14, 2013 13th International Annual ELT Conference Language Center April 17-18 2013 The Nineteenth International Conference on Difference Equations and Application May 26- 30, 2013 The First International Conference Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Aspiration &Future Trends, October 7-10,2013 2nd Oman Thoracic Conference 2013 October 29–31, 2013 1st International Conference on Advances Obstetrics and Gynecology, December 3-6, 2013 Science Education Medicine and Health Sciences Medicine and Health Sciences 40 Table 7.2.2. Symposia organized at SQU in 2013 Section 7.2.2.1 7.2.2.2 7.2.2.3 7.2.2.4 7.2.2.5 7.2.2.6 7.2.2.7 Symposium International Symposium on Biotechnology and Conservation from Arid Region February 10-13, 2013 Symposium on Global Health Care and Lung Cancer, March 8, 2013 10th Annual Symposium of Translation Group, April 2013 Fourth Annual Gulf Comparative Education Society, March 17-18, 2013 Symposium on Omani-Azhari Scholars April 14 – 16, 2013 History and Civilization Symposium October 27 – 28, 2013 Marine Biotechnology International Symposium, November 12-13, 2013 College/Center Science Sultan Qaboos University Hospital English and Translation Society Education Omani Studies Center Omani Studies Center and Humanities Research Center Centre for Excellence in Marine Biotechnology Table 7.2.3 Workshops organized at SQU in 2013 Section 7.2.3.1 Workshop Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers January 12-14, 2013 7.2.3.2 Workshop on Bird Research, January 2013 7.2.3.3 Workshop on Data Analysis for Decision Agricultural and Marine Sciences Making, April 6 – 17, 2013 7.2.3.4 7.2.3.5 College/Center Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Center for Environmental Studies and Research Workshop on Fine Arts Vision, October 2013 Fine Arts Group Workshop on Research Areas of Collaboration, Office of the Assistant ViceDecember 2013 Chancellor for External Cooperation 41 7.2.1 Conferences-Highlights (2013) 7.2.1.1 Second International Gulf Conference on Patient Safety The 2nd International Gulf Conference on Patient Safety held during January 21 – 23, 2013 jointly organized by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Executive Board of the Council of Health Ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Countries. The conference themed “ Strengthening the Leadership in Patient Safety: A Mutual Commitment and ways to win”. It has been attended by more than 30 speakers from the Sultanate and outside the country. The Conference objective is to identify leading practices in patients safety at Gulf level, regionally and internationally, offer the best state-of-the-art global certified models in the application and development of patient safety programs. The number of doctors in various fields, pharmacists, nurses, administrators, various health institution and other government agencies were among the attendees. The conference recorded more than 400 participants and 300 submitted scientific papers, two workshops and an exhibition relating to the conference theme were also conducted. It aims to achieve a culture of patients safety at health institutions, Policy makers and health leaders, discussed the economic burden and expected benefits from patients safety program management at health institutions and the strengthening of the role of the department of health risks to ensure patients safety. The conference highlighted six key areas; leadership and its role in promoting patient safety, the role of technology and information systems to promote patient safety and a set of concepts and principles and studies of patient safety. 7.2.1.2 Free Open Source Software Conference The Free Open Source Software Conference (FOSSC) held at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat during the period February 18 - 19, 2013 was jointly organized by the Communication and Information Research Center (CIRC), Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and the Information Technology Authority (ITA). On the first day, the exhibition hub was opened for the participants to check and experience on hand the power of the Open Source. It has been attended by various institutions in the Sultanate including Expertise Training Center‟s (ETC) staff and students . Renowned experts and speakers around the world were invited to present papers on Open Software. The conference provided a great opportunity to adopt new learning and technology innovations. In addition, it helped establishing contacts with experts from other technological institutions around the Sultanate. 7.2.1.3 International Conference on Agricultural Engineering The International Conference on Agricultural Engineering with the theme: “New Technologies for Sustainable Agricultural Production and Food Security”, was held during the period 24-26 February 2013 at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU)and was organized by the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences. This conference aims to provide a forum for engineers and associated professionals for discussion and sharing of information on current research developments, achievements and practical applications in all disciplines related to Agricultural and Bio systems Engineering. The keynote speakers were from the International Commission of Agricultural Engineering (CIGR), the European Federation of Food Science & Technology (EFFoST), the Asian Association for Agricultural Engineering (AAAE), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE), and a Lead author of the UN FAO publication "Crop Evapotranspiration”. Further, the conference provided additional opportunities for comprehensive discussion on 42 specific fields of interest and for initiation of joint activities, collaborations and developing ideas for innovations. The conference consisted of invited papers, oral and poster presentations, technical and social events and was attended by participants/representatives from various Ministries and government sectors and other Institutions in the Sultanate. 7.2.1.4 Oman International Vascular Conference This three-day conference was held during the period March 12-14, 2013. It was organized by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. It was attended by renowned speakers from within and outside the Sultanate. The conference discussed the importance in obtaining modern technologies and knowledge of the latest in the field of vascular surgery. It also stressed on the establishment of joint research in the field of physiology pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which is the primary factor in the majority of cardiovascular disease, and to find ways and preventive measures for the same. The plenary concluded with 16 recommendations including the continuity in establishing events and international conferences related to the surgery and the need to exchange experiences with local and international experts. It also recommended to encourage and train local cadre and to find opportunities for specialized fellowships in the field of vascular surgery. It also laid focus on diagnosing, treatment and follow-up of chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 7.2.1.5 13th International Annual ELT Conference The Language Center at SQU organized the 13th Oman International ELT Conference during the period 17-18 April 2013 with the theme “Changing Times, Emerging Opportunities in ELT”. The Oman ELT Conference is the largest international conference on English Language Teaching in the region. This year the conference featured 107 presentations from ten different countries. Sixty-four of these presentations were from Oman. Thousand participants from various organizations in the Sultanate and abroad attended the conference. The Ministry of Education sponsored 300 teachers to participate in the conference and 90 faculty members WERE sent by Sohar University. The Oman International ELT Conference is accompanied by an ELT exhibition which features a range of the latest ELT publications and products. Experts around the world from renowned universities were among the plenary speakers and delivered talks on various topics relating to the theme. Moreover, several poster sessions, presentations and 21 workshops including three certified workshops. 43 7.2.1.6 The Nineteenth International Conference on Difference Equations and Application The Nineteenth International Conference on Difference Equations and Applications was held at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman during the period May 26- 30, 2013. The conference was organized by the Department of Mathematics & Statistics in association with International Society of Difference Equations (ISDE). The conference proceedings entitled “Theory and Applications of Difference Equations and Discrete Dynamical Systems,” was published by Springer and edited by Ziyad AlSharawi, Jim Cushing and Saber Elaydi. It aimed to bring together the experts and novices in the theory and applications of difference equations and discrete dynamical systems. The main theme of the conference was the applications of difference equations to Mathematical Sciences, and in particular, Mathematical Biology, Ecology and Epidemiology. It was attended by experts around the world and participants from government and private sectors in the Sultanate and representatives from International organizations. 7.2.1.7 The First International Conference for Early Childhood Education: Challenges, Aspiration &Future Trends The International Conference for Early Childhood: Challenges, Aspiration and Future Trends organized by the College of Education at SQU, in collaboration with the University of Saint Joseph in the USA and UNICEF office in Muscat was held during the period October 7-10,2013. The three-day conference featured 85 paper presentations by speakers from 25 countries across the world. The major aim of the conference is to disseminate knowledge in the field of early childhood; to highlight the importance of this stage as the most fundamental and critical development period in an individual‟s lifespan, and focus on the analysis of current research to provide contemporary information for the future of early childhood education in the Sultanate of Oman. The conference covered various themes including: (1) Children and the information revolution – it discussed media, information and communication technology and assistive technology to support children with special needs; (2) School –family-community partnership – it covered family involvement in early childhood, family counseling in the field of early childhood and the use of technology in family- school-community partnerships; (3) Children with special needs – it covered the evidence-based practices for early children, creativity in young children; gifted children; and children with disabilities; (4) Contemporary issues in the field of early childhood and child rights and policies – it discussed violence in children, armed conflict, advocacy, childhood policies and rights in higher education; (5) Early childhood approaches, curriculum and program; (6) children development strategies; and (7) International standards in early childhood education. 7.2.1.8 Oman Thoracic Conference 2013 The 2nd Oman Thoracic Conference organized by the College of Medicine and Health Sciences and The Oman Respiratory Society held on 29–31 October 2013. Participated by health institutions in the Sultanate and abroad, students and professionals. Papers that have been presented during the conference was published in the Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal (Med J. Aug 2014; 14(3): e417–e423. Published online Jul 24, 2014). The conference discussed respiratory disorder in Oman, management on pulmonary diseases and other related issues, primary health care, and other topics relating to the 44 7.2.1.9 1st International Conference on Advances Obstetrics and Gynecology This conference organized by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, SQU in collaboration with Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, London and Omani Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology was held during the period 3-6 December 2013 with the theme “Towards Excellence in Women Health”. The conference aimed to provide unique platform for vibrant discussions and update on recent advances in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The conference featured 15 international speakers and more than 300 participants from the Sultanate and abroad attended. It addressed a wide range of topics in obstetrics and gynecology comprising high risk of pregnancy, emergency obstetrics, endoscopy, obstetric ultrasound, gynecological oncology, breast cancer in Oman, urogynacology, subfertility, and medical and surgical disorder in pregnancy. 7.2.2 Symposia- Highlights(2013) 7.2.2.1 International Symposium on Biotechnology and Conservation from Arid Region This international symposium organized by the Department of Biology, College of Science held during the period February 10-13, 2013 was attended by more than 250 participants from the Sultanate and 23 other countries around the world. The four day symposium themed (1) biotechnology of extremophilic microorganisms, (2) biotechnology and conservation of animal species in arid regions, and (3) biotechnology and conservation of plant species in arid regions. It featured 150 scientific papers, oral presentations and posters. The conference was designed to bring together biotechnology scientists from universities, government research institutes and private sector laboratories as well as ethicists, policy makers and industry leaders who are interested in exploring biotechnological application of species from arid regions. 7.2.2.2 Symposium on Global Health Care and Lung Cancer The symposium jointly organized by Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Oman Society of Lipid and Atherosclerosis (OSLA) was held on 8 March 2013. Two renowned physicians working from UK HealthCare's Gill Heart Institute and professors at the University of Kentucky, USA were invented to participate in the symposium. Dr. Sibu Saha stressed during her presentation on global health care that “poverty, inadequate health care infrastructure, economic disparity, shortage of health care providers, and rise of non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and trauma pose a big obstacle to global health care”. He further discussed the challenges of health care for developing nations and the current obstacles in the global health care system. 45 Dr. Thomas Wayne discussed the prevention of heart disease with the group, stressing the importance of advanced screenings and was impressed with both the country and the hospital. Dr. Wayne cited that heart disease is becoming more prominent in Oman and other Middle Eastern countries, possibly contributed to by the introduction of a Western diet into their culture. He was impressed with Oman's achievements in health care. He noted that “Oman‟s progress in health care is considered a 'miracle' by the World Health Organization”. 7.2.2.3 Tenth Annual Symposium of Translation Group The English and Translation Society at Sultan Qaboos University organized a symposium with the theme “Coaching the Translator: Meeting the Job Market Needs”. It was held on April 2013. Speakers and experts from universities abroad. Translators and professors from abroad and in the Sultanate attended the symposium. It presented 3 papers (1) “From Translation Theory to Translator Education” (2) “Linguistics in Translation and Interpreting: An Unnecessary Luxury?” (3) “Translator‟s Business Competence: Where has Academic Gone Wrong”. An exhibition showcasing the activities of the Translation Group were also held. The group also launched various books such as The Blue Bouquet, People’s Tale, Homeless Soul and others. 7.2.2.4 Fourth Annual Gulf Comparative Education Society Symposium The symposium organized by the College of Education and sponsored by Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi Foundation for Policy Research was held during the period March 17-18, 2013 with the theme “ Bridging the Policy Research in Education”. It broadly examined the potential for policy makers in the region to devise evidence-based policies through utilizing local research in the education sector. In focusing on the promise and possibilities of comparative education research to policy-making in the region, the symposium also sought to explore the variety of ways in which the two can be sustainably linked. The symposium was attended by more than 460 participants from 13 different countries and 71 papers both in English and Arabic were presented during the event. Renowned speakers and scientists outside the Sultanate were invited and discussed various topics including educational research its policy and practice, and technologies to formalize and disseminate the knowledge to support the improvement of educational practice and research. 46 7.2.2.5 Symposium on Omani-Azhari Scholars The Omani Studies Center in collaboration with Al Azhar Al Sharif organized the “OmaniAzhari: Scholars: Common Grounds” during the period April 14 – 16, 2013. The symposium highlighted the cultural role of the Sultanate in strengthening the intellectual partnership between researchers from inside and outside the Sultanate. It underlined the commonalities between the Omani-Azhari schools and the role of Oman-Azhar scholars in the comparative authorship. It confirmed the Omani presence in contemporary Azhar studies (Applied Sciences and Humanities). It presented 28 scientific papers submitted by group of scholars from the Sultanate and Al Azhar Al Sharif and other universities and institutions in the Arab world. The Symposium addressed several areas; (1) “Scientific Studies Between Oman and Al Azhar” (2) “Cultural and Educational Outreach” and (3) “Omani-Azhari Efforts to Serve the Islamic Ummah” the fourth and last theme is entitled “Omani-Azhari Vision”. This also highlighted the value of Al Azhar Al Sharif to Muslims and the scholars of the Sultanate. 7.2.2.6 History and Civilization Symposium The symposium was jointly organized by the Omani Studies Center and the Humanities Research Center at SQU with the theme “Muscat: History and Civilization” it was held during the period 27 – 28 October 2013. It aimed to illustrate the main steps formed in Muscat‟s history and its effect in Oman‟s modern aspect of civilization from the past. Its focused on the significant dimensions that differentiated Muscat economically, socially and in culture. Importance in terms of communication abroad was also discussed to encourage academics research on the role of history and civilization of Muscat. The symposium focused on geography, history, economy, and Muscat social and culture. Participants from various institutions in the Sultanate and abroad attended the symposium. 7.2.2.7 Marine Biotechnology International Symposium The Centre for Excellence in Marine Biotechnology in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries Wealth and The Research Council organized the International Symposium on Marine Biotechnology with the theme “Emerging Opportunities and Future Perspective” held during the period 12-13 November 2013. The symposium main objectives are, to assess and promote the development of marine biotechnology in Oman and to bring together scientists for the establishment of new collaborative activity. The two day symposium was attended by 47 participants from around the world and institutions in the Sultanate. It presented 33 papers and 30 research posters; it focused on (1) Marine Bio-fouling and Prevention, (2) Fisheries and Aquaculture Biotechnology and (3) Marine Natural Products and Biodiversity. 7.2.3 Workshops – Highlights (2013) 7.2.3.1 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers This three-day workshop organized by the students branch of IEEE at SQU was held during the period January 12-14, 2013. The workshop was attended by more than 100 students. It focuses on the techniques to avoid accidents in the work place and elaborated on the safety triangle that consists of safety attitude, periodic maintenance and actual application. The workshop also discussed fire safety and first aid techniques and procedures. Faculty members from the College of Nursing at SQU also lectured the level of burns and its treatments and further demonstrated resuscitation and artificial respiration techniques. 7.2.3.2 Workshop on Bird Research The Center for Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR) at SQU organized a capacity building workshop on bird related research for scientists and researchers in Oman. The workshop held in January 2013. The four-day workshop was conducted by Dr. Jens Eriksen and Andrew Thorpe, internationally renowned scientists in bird research. The workshop was organized in reference to the International Conference on Migratory Shorebirds conducted in November 2011. Representatives from Sultan Qaboos University, Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs, Ministry of Diwan of Royal Court, Environmental Society of Oman, Airport Authority of Oman and Haya Waters were among the participants. The workshops discussed bird anatomy, methods of counting birds, various bird species found in Oman and other relevant topics. 7.2.3.3 Workshop on Data Analysis for Decision Making The Department of Natural Resources Economics, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, organized the “Data Analysis for Decision Making” workshop during the period April 6 – 17, 2013. More than 20 participants attended the 10-day workshop from different sector organization. The workshop aimed to provide the modeling skills that enable the participants to plan, analyze socio-economic data and formulate policy decisions on the basis of analysis. The attendees were given training on optimization and econometric workshop. The Department of Natural Resources Economics also aims to build links with the public and private sectors in the Sultanate for serving the community as part of its mission as well as for the building capacity and contributing to the economic development of the Sultanate. 7.2.3.4 Workshop on Fine Arts Vision The student Fine Arts Group under the Deanship of Student Affairs organized a workshop on October 2013. The workshop has presented art gallery of the student service center and exhibited more than 80 works by 100 students. The presented art works and paintings were models of calligraphy and sculpture of Omani castle, forts, traditional doors and windows and special makets of local and global shows. The Fine Arts group is planning to organize similar event. 48 7.2.3.5 Workshop on Research Collaboration with the University of Reading The workshop was organized by the Office of the Assistant Vice- Chancellor for External Cooperation at SQU on December 2013. The workshop aimed to foster international ties as well as explore possible collaboration with the University of Reading in medicine, training and research, joint research and student and staff exchange in various disciplines. The workshop was divided into 3 sessions (1) identifying common areas of joint research in health related fields, (2) engineering research with focus sustainable and eco-friendly building technologies and building energy, and (3) agricultural research focusing on mitigating effects of global change and increasing agricultural productivity for improved food security. The workshop has been attended by researchers and experts from the University of Reading, UK. 7.2.4 Trend Analysis Table 7.2.4 shows the number of conferences, symposia and workshops organized by colleges, centres and other units in SQU during the year 2013. The number of events has been nearly 20 events per year during the period of 2010 – 2013 with an exceptional increase to 27 events in 2012. Table 7.2.4 Conferences, symposia and workshops at SQU during 2010-2013 Year 7.3 Conferences Symposia Workshops Total 2010 10 6 3 19 2011 12 4 3 19 2012 17 3 7 27 2013 9 7 5 21 Conference Attendance Sultan Qaboos University continues to encourage researchers to attended conferences to showcase their scientific findings. SQU remains faithful in supporting the researchers in attending scientific meetings by giving them financial assistance and facilitating their travel arrangements. In 2013, the number of staff participating in conferences symposia and workshops increased to 650, a substantial increase by 11% from 2012 . The number of conference attendance participations has been steadily increasing during the period 2010-2013. A rise by 70% occurred during this period increasing from 460 in 2010 to 650 in 2013 as shown in Fig 7.3.1 49 700 579 Number of Participants 600 485 460 500 650 400 300 200 100 0 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Fig. 7.3.1 Number of participants in local and international conferences during 2010 - 2013 The Conference Central Budget is the most important source of funding to support conference attendance. The total expenditure from the Conference Central Budget has increased to OMR 254,182 in 2013 as compared to OMR 142,048 in 2010 ( Fig. 7.3.2) 300,000.00 Total Budget (OMR) 254182 200,000.00 198731 168111 142048 100,000.00 0.00 2010 2011 2012 2013 Year Fig. 7.3.2 Total expenditure from the Conference Central Budget during 2010 -2013 Table 7.3.1. shows the number of researchers attending conferences, workshops and symposia in 2013 from different funding source including. The remarkable increase over the years reflects the growth of researchers‟ productivity and support given by SQU. 50 Table 7.3.1 Number of researchers attending conferences, symposia and workshops classified by funding source for 2010-2013. By Personal College Current Conference Project Year Total Invitation Expense Budget Central Budget Grants 2010 35 47 103 249 26 460 2011 28 44 132 255 26 485 2012 43 66 148 283 39 579 2013 53 69 184 302 42 650 Figure 7.3.3 shows the distribution of approved conference attendances in 2013 as percentages, while figure 7.3.3 shows the number of applications in SQU in 2013. The data shows that SQU hospital earned 22% and the colleges of Science and Arts and Social Sciences accounted for 15% and 14% respectively, while the remaining 49% was shared by other Colleges and units. 4% Agricultural & Marine Sciences 5% Arts & Social Sciences Economics & Political Science 15% 22% Education Engineering 4% Law Medicine & Health Sciences 10% 6% Nursing Science Language Centre 14% 9% Others 8% 1% University Hospital 2% Fig.7.3.3 Distribution of conference attendance approved for SQU units and colleges in 2013 51 160 145 Number of Participants 140 120 99 100 91 80 67 58 60 40 34 50 36 23 20 12 27 8 0 Agricultural Arts & & Marine Social Sciences Sciences Economics Education Engineering & Political Science Law Medicine & Nursing Health Sciences Science Language University Centre Hospital Others Fig. 7.3.4 Number of approved conference applications for SQU units and colleges in 2013 Sultan Qaboos University continues to encourage staff from different units to participate and attend international conferences and scientific meetings. Sultan Qaboos University supports its staff to participate in conferences and scientific meetings in various parts of the world by providing them financial support and facilitating travel arrangement. Participation in such events is an opportunity to learn about the latest scientific developments and offers them a chance to be in contact with their counter parts from around the world to exchange ideas and have a scholarly dialogue. The present report clearly shows that the number of applicants is increasing every year, and for this reason, it is suggested that the fund allocated for Central Conference Budget be increased. In 2013, OMR 254, 02 was spent. 52 7.4 SQU Journals and Books 7.4.1 SQU Journals Table lists the numbers of articles published by the six SQU research journals in 2012 and 2013. The total numbers of journal issues and the total number of published articles have increased each by 8% in 2013 compared to 2012. Table 7.4 SQU Journals for 2013 Journal Title 2012 2012 2013 2013 No. of Issues No. of Papers No. of Issues No. of Papers Start Date SQU Journal for Science 1996 2 19 1 13 Agricultural and Marine Sciences – A Research Journal 1996 1 7 1 8 Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 1999 4 90 4 115 TJER (The Journal of Engineering Research) 2004 2 16 2 16 Journal of Educational & Psychological Studies 2005 3 22 4 14 Journal of Arts and Social Sciences 2006 1 8 2 9 13 162 14 175 Total 53 Examples of papers that made significant contributions are given below. Al-Sayigh, Abdulrazak Siddiq. Neprotalia Omanensis and Orbiculina Musawaensis from the Sultanate of Oman- SQU Journal for ScienceVol.18 Issue 1 pp.41-53, 2013 ABSTRACT: Two new species of larger benthic foraminifera, Neorotalia omanensis n. sp. And Operculina musawaensis n. sp. are described and illustrated from the eastern Oman Mountains. N. omanensis n. sp. occurs in the Musawa Formation in association with the planktonic foraminifera Morozovella edgari and Truncarotaloides topilensis indicating an early to middle Eocene age (P10-P13). Operculina musawaensis n. sp. occurs in the Abat Formation in association with the planktonic foraminifera Acarinina esnaensis and A. soldadensis indicating an early Eocene age (P6). This is the first known record showing the presence of genus Neorotalia in the Middle East. Representatives of the larger foraminiferal genus Linderina sp. are also described and illustrated from the Musawa Formation and compared with the published Linderina species in the surrounding countries. 54 Al-Lawati, Jawad Ahmed; Sulaiman, Kadhim Jaffer; Panduranga, Prashanth. The Epidemiology of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Oman: Results from the Oman-RACE Study (Original Study) -SQU Medical Journal- Vol. 13, Issue 1,pp.43-50, 2013 Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and coronary risk factors of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in Oman. Methods: Data were collected through a prospective, multinational, multicentre survey of consecutive patients, hospitalised over a 5-month period in 2007 with a diagnosis of ACS, in Yemen and five Arabian Gulf countries (Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates). Here we present data of Omani patients aged ≥20 years who received a provisional diagnosis of ACS and were consequently admitted to 14 different hospitals. Results: There where 1,340 confirmed ACS episodes in 748 men and 592 women (median age 61 years). The overall crude incidence rate of ACS was 338.9 per 100,000 person-years (P-Y). The age-standardised rate (ASR) of ACS was 779 and 674 per 100,000 P-Y for men and women, respectively. The ASR male-to-female rate ratio was highest in the ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) group (2.26, 95% confidence interval ([CI], 1.63 to 3.15) followed by the non-STEMI (NSTEMI) group (1.68, 95% CI 1.28 to 2.21) and unstable angina (0.79, 95% CI 0.66 to 0.99). Unstable angina accounted for 55%, STEMI for 26% and NSTEMI for 19% of ACS cases. Among the coronary risk factors, there was a high prevalence of hypertension (68%), diabetes mellitus (DM) (36%), hyperlipidaemia (63%), and overweight/obesity (65%), with a relatively low rate of current tobacco use (11%). Conclusion: Our study confirms a high incidence of ACS in Omanis and supports the notion that the cardiovascular disease epidemic is also sweeping developing countries. 55 R Muniandy, E Aburkaba and R Taha. Effect of Mineral Filler Type and Particle Size on the Engineering Properties of Stone Mastic Asphalt Pavements, The Journal of Engineering Research, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 13-32, 2013. Abstract: This study examines four types of industrial and by-product waste fillers, namely limestone dust (LSD), which was the reference filler; ceramic waste dust (CWD); coal fly ash (CFA), and steel slag mixture (SSD). The filler consisted of an aggregate (10% of total weight) with three proportions: 100% passing 75µm, 50% passing 75µm/20µm, and 100% passing 20µm. Comprehensive laboratory tests were performed to determine the impact of different types and particle sizes of fillers on the engineering and mechanical properties of fine mastics and stone mastic asphalt mixture. The results indicate that the application of industrial by-products used as fillers improves the engineering properties of stone mastic asphalt mixtures. The increased stiffness due to the addition of the filler is represented by an increase in the softening point, viscosity, stability, and resilient modulus, as well as a decrease in penetration. The optimum asphalt content increased with the decrease in filler particle size for LSD and SSD, and decreased for CWD and CFA. It was also determined that the filler type and particle size has a significant effect on the mixture properties. Among these three proportions, the samples prepared with the filler size proportion of 50/50 gave the best value in terms of stability, Marshall quotient, and resilient modulus than the other filler size proportions. 56 Al Shayeb, Abdel Hafez. The Effect of Score Resolution Method among Raters' Ratings of Writing Tasks and Number of Scoring Rubric Categories on the Operational Score - The Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies,Vol.7. Issue 2, p.226-255, 2013. Abstract: The study aimed at investigating the reliability indices of the operational score calculated by three different methods of score resolution among raters' ratings of a writing task (the average score of the original ratings, the average score of the expert rating and the original ratings, the average score of the expert rating and the closest rating of the original ratings) using two scoring rubrics (five categories, seven categories), and examining the effect of score resolution method, and scoring rubric in the operational score calculated in one of the above mentioned methods. Data were obtained from the answers of 232 male and female teachers to a previously developed writing task. The writings were blindly assessed by six raters using the two pre-developed scoring rubrics. The results revealed differences among reliability indices due to the resolution method used to calculate the operational score regardless of the scoring rubric being used. Repeated measures ANOVA with between-subjects factor revealed significant main effect of both factors i.e., score resolution method, and scoring rubric in the calculated operational score using one of the aforementioned resolution methods. 57 Abdulgabbar, Mohammed Al Sharafi. The Metonymic Functions of the verb fa?ala in the Holy Qur‟an– Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Arts and Social Sciences, Vol.4. Issue 2,pp.5-24, 2013. Abstract: This study builds on an observation that the verb fa‟ala in Arabic, which means „do‟, is essentially metonymic; it can refer to any transitive or intransitive verb in the language. This referential function is paradigmatic in nature and has been mentioned by classical Arab grammarians, hence their choice of this verb as the template or pattern on which all action verbs are formulated and modulated. The study proceeds from this basic observation to propose another type of referential function of the verb fa‟ala, which is syntagmatic in nature: the cohesive function. Taking the Holy Qur‟an as the corpus for this study, both functions of the verb are investigated in this study. A statistical analysis is carried out to identify all the occurrences of the verb fa‟ala and its derivatives in the Holy Qur‟an within their textual contexts, usually the verse. A textual analysis of each of these occurrences is, then, carried out to reveal the metonymic function of the verb fa‟ala in all these instances. The study shows that within the general metonymic referential function of the verb fa‟ala two basic sub-functions can be identified. The first is plain reference and the second is euphemistic reference. The findings of this study show that the plain reference function only accounts for about 37% of the total occurrences, while the euphemistic reference accounts for about 63% of the total Holy Qur‟an corpus. These findings are significant because no previous study has addressed this textual aspect of the verb fa‟ala in the Holy Qur‟an, not even classical and contemporary exegetes. This study is also significant to linguistic and figurative studies of the Holy Qur‟an, Holy Qur‟an corpus studies and textual and pragmatic analysis of the Holy Qur‟an. 58 Abdulgabbar, Mohammed Al Sharafi. The Metonymic Functions of the verb fa?ala in the Holy Qur‟an– Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Arts and Social Sciences, Vol.4. Issue 2,pp.5-24, 2013. Abstract: Two alternative analytical models were used to estimate the economically optimal age of replanting date palm, namely; Comparison of Equivalent Annual Net Revenue (CEAN) and Multi-Period Linear Programming Model (MPLP). Solution procedures of both models are based on the theory of optimal replacement of capital assets. Data on date palm age-yield relationship and other socioeconomic variables were gleaned through a farm survey of 34 large commercial farms, in Izki, Bahla, and Al-Hamra wilayats in the Al- Dakhilya governorate of the Sultanate of Oman. The study estimated the optimal age of replanting date palms as 50-55 years. Both models, CEAN and MPLP gave consistent estimates. The optimal age to replant date palms was sensitive only to changes in the interest rates. Low interest rates shortened the optimal age of date palm replanting. Changes in date price, yield and variable production costs did not change the optimal age of replanting date palms. The incremental revenue that could be accrued to the Sultanate of Oman through replanting date palms was estimated as 7 million OR/ year. 59 7.4.2 SQU Books Sultan Qaboos University has been encouraging the publication of peer-reviewed scholarly books. The Academic Publication Board manages this process and authors are given remuneration for their work. The peer-reviewed scholarly books published by SQU in 2013 are presented below. Book Title: Insects of the Sea Author: Sharon L. Smith; Inna Drapun and Elena popova Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 223-240 Two important books under the title Insects of the Sea were authored by Sharon L. Smith, Elena Popova and Inna Drapun. They are illustrated guides which could help researchers better understand zooplankton communities in a region that is dramatically understudied. For more than a decade, explorers collected water samples from research vessels and small boats on the Arabian sea, looking for creatures smaller than a grain of rice. More than 100 species from nearly 1000 samples were painstakingly catalogued. The book Halocypird Ostracods of the Sea Region runs 223 pages, while the second book Calanoid Copepods of the Sea Region is 240 pages long. 60 Book Title: Practical English Writing in Task-based Organizational Communication: Exemplars and Learning-Oriented Assessments Author: Tsze Sun Li Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 537 Compiled by Tsze Sun Li, the book utilizes the theory of learning-oriented assessment. It introduces the text types of writing in the workplace systematically by means of ample exemplars embedded in task-based authentic situations. This book comprises eight units: short notes, memos, letters, notices, circulars, agendas, minutes, and short reports. Each unit is organized into three parts: a brief introduction of text type characteristics, exemplars with footnote explanations, and practice tasks including fill-in-the-blank, proofreading & editing, and task-based writing. 61 Book Title: Author: Issue year: Pages: 155 Secrets and Wonders of Metals and Precious Stones Sobhi Naser 2013 Compiled by Drs. Subhi Naser and Abdul Aazzak Al Sayegh, the book presents a clear picture of the nature of precious stones. It is a 155-word publication which is divided into 14 sections covering all matters related to such metals as gold, platinum, silver and copper and all kinds of precious stones. The information provided about precious stones is sometimes based on scientific facts or myths. It also deals with the uses of such stones, their provenance, and the countries from which they are exported. 62 Book Title: An ABC of Medical Errors Handbook Author: Ahmed Mansour Al Munthiri Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 162 The safety of health care services is one of the essential dimensions of quality. Recently though it has come under scrutiny by health care planners and decisions makers, consumers, and accrediting bodies. This is due to several reasons, such as documented poor levels of quality, and unsafe practices in many health care systems in the world. This has prompted the World Health Organization to introduce instruments for coordinating and disseminating improvements in patient safety worldwide. Now, this important book comes to highlight errors committed by medical practitioners worldwide. Compiled by Dr. Ahmed Bin Mansour Al Munthiri, it provides the best, most current thinking about medical errors and calls for improving the knowledge of all parties involved in health care delivery. A good foundation for this knowledge is defining the meaning of medical error, identifying its various types, causes and contributing factors, and how to propose corrective and preventive action. 63 Book Title: Weeds of Northern and Central Oman Author: Ahmed Al-Maskari and Mansoor Hameed Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 153 This book by Drs. Ahmed Al-Maskari and Mansoor Hameed, is a timely addition to the body of information necessary to understanding weed distribution, and weed identification and control under the arid climate of Oman, and will enable farmers to prepare appropriate strategies to manage and control them. Indigenous knowledge helped identify certain wild plant species, including weeds, as having valuable ecological, economic or medicinal value. This publication is a first comprehensive attempt at bringing together a wide range of information from indigenous knowledge, ethno-botanical, ecological, and economic sources on the weeds of Oman in one volume. It is arranged in alphabetical order by family name, followed by a comprehensive bibliography, and finally by a glossary of botanical and medicinal names. A valuable component of this publication is the colored plant images and hand illustrations of several plant parts, especially inflorescences, flowers, fruits and seeds. The authors managed to compile comprehensive information of great value to students of botany, ethnobotany, allelopathy, and pharmacognosy. Some of the plants featured in this volume, although referred to as weeds, have great potential as medicinal, dye, perfume, cosmetic, and fodder sources. Finally, the information will help agronomists and weed scientists develop new, environmentally-friendly, and effective weed management practices, especially under the traditional and organic cropping systems of Oman. 64 Book Title: Literature Teaching in the EFL Context Author: Rahma Al Mahrouqi and Adrian Roscoe Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 356 This is a unique book that focuses on how literature can be used in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) classroom to enhance not only language acquisition but to help students grow and mature morally, socially, and intellectually. It contains twenty different chapters, which are either research based or experience based. Written by Drs Rahma Al Maharouqi and Adrian Roscoe the book is a real reference for all language teachers and everyone interested in language learning and teaching. It provides excellent and creative ideas on how to use literature of all types in the language classroom. Recently the use of literature in the EFL classroom has raised a lot of questions as to the benefits that could be gained. One view suggests that English literature is totally alien to Arab learners and that literary genres use a complicated language, which would make it difficult for learners to acquire the English language. Conversely, advocates of introducing literature in teaching see that it is merely a matter of selecting the kind of literature you want to teach that is important. One can choose what is appropriate to students‟ culture. Literature broadens the mind and sharpens the intellect, as learners find themselves involved in questioning diverse ideas using different analytic approaches. In this way, students will enrich their linguistic repertoire and get the feel of the language; hence, the significance of this resource book. 65 Book Title: Issues in Teaching and Learning English as a Foreign Language in the Arab World Author: Abdelmoneim Mahmoud and Rahma Al Mahrouqi Issue Year: 2013 Pages: 290 Anyone who learnt a foreign language in a formal setting will agree that it is not an easy task. Confined within a context that does not use the language for everyday communication, learners find it challenging to learn and retain it. Sociolinguistic and Sociocultural factors, including how close or distant the target language is from the learners‟ native language, and how similar or different their cultural backgrounds are, can either facilitate or hinder the learning process. Though in many ways diverse, the Arab World has its own unique culture and native language which are unlike those of the English-speaking countries. Here, English is taught as a foreign language and most Arab learners struggle with it for cultural, psychological, and contextual reasons. Compiled by Drs. Abdelmoneim Mahmoud and Rahma Al Mahrouqi, the book discusses, in ten chapters, issues around the teaching of English in the Arab World. It aims to spark interest in and initiate critical discourse on this important topic. 66 Table 7.4.3 shows the number of books published by SQU in the period 2010-2013. These books were approved by the Academic Publication Board and printed by the University Press. The University should encourage its faculty members to increase their productivity in publishing books. Table 6.4.3 Books Published at SQU 7.5 Year 2010 2011 2012 2013 Number of Published Books 2 5 2 7 Conclusions SQU has been providing research support reflecting its commitment toward promoting research culture in the University and the Sultanate. In 2013, SQU organized and hosted 9 conferences, 7 symposia and 5 workshops. Renowned international speakers from different parts of the world delivered keynote addresses and papers during these events. The Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal continues to grow in their publications. Both the SQU Medical Journal and The Journal of Engineering Research at SQU are indexed in international scientific databases (PubMed and Scopus). In 2013, SQU has published seven internationally refereed books approved by its Academic Publication Board. The number of books published in 2013 (six books) is a significant increase compared to nine books in the past 3 years. SQU remains committed to supporting its faculty to produce more refereed books. 67 8. RESEARCH AWARDS 8.1 Introduction In recognition of its staff research quality and productivity, every year the University offers Best Researcher Award and Best Paper Awards given during the University Day celebration. The colleges nominate their winning candidates after a thorough selection process from the College Board and the College Research Committee. SQU also supports research awards to students through colleges. Faculty members, researchers and students also receive research awards from regional and international research organizations which reflect the quality of their research performance. SQU has also introduced in 2013 a new Journal Publication Award system for rewarding researchers who publish journal articles of good quality. 8.2 Best Researcher Award In 2013, nine faculty members won the best researcher award. The names of the winners are given in Table 8.2.1 below. Table 8.2.2 shows the approved journal publications award in 2013. Table 8.2.1 The best researchers award winners for 2013 Name College 1 Dr. Manickavasagan Annamalai Agricultural and Marine Sciences 2 Dr. Mohammed Nasser Ali Al-Suqri Arts and Social Sciences 3 Dr. Ali Hamad Salim Al-Badi Economics and Political Science 4 Dr. Ali Sharaf Ali Al-Mosawi Education 5 Dr. Talal Khamis Al Wahaibi Engineering 6 Dr. Adel Abdalla Hassan El Messady Law 7 Dr. Allal Ouhtit Medicine and Health Sciences 8 Prof. Sobhi Jaber Nasir Science 9 Dr. Kamla Sulaiman Salim Al-Amri Language Center Table 8.2.2: Journal Publications Award in 2013 120 4 Number of Publication 100 5 4 80 3 60 34 28 1 9 28 27 85 40 20 0 44 58 5 4 4 4 5 8 8 5 JCR- Web of Science 53 1 1 4 Scopus 10 3 8 3 SQU Journal 1 11 7 2 Humanities 70% 3 1 2 9 2 3 1 1 12 Humanities 30% 68 Table 8.2.3: Output Metric of SQU Publications in 2010 - 2014 800 729 678 700 Number of Publications 600 500 652 594 442 400 478 471 436 374 345 300 200 100 70 83 86 2010 2011 2012 115 101 2013 2014 0 Scopus PubMed Web of Science Table 8.2.4: Scopus Benchmarking Output of SQU Publications with other Universities in 2010-2014 No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. University University of Oxford National University of Singapore King Saud University Cairo University Sharif University of Technology University of Jordan Kuwait University Sultan Qaboos University Bilkent University United Arab Emirates University University of Qatar Khalifa University Abu Dhabi University 2010 8697 2011 9326 2012 10146 2013 11135 2014 8949 Total 48253 6678 2055 1560 7077 3214 1888 7836 3748 2277 8315 3771 2311 6717 3500 2036 36623 16288 10072 1889 590 667 442 576 1854 592 723 594 576 1955 725 663 678 622 1864 770 707 729 666 1507 651 516 652 557 9069 3328 3276 3095 2997 589 226 90 35 634 308 209 38 618 420 252 43 673 586 322 49 483 583 190 24 2997 2123 1063 189 69 Table 8.2.5: Web of Science Benchmarking Output of SQU Publications with other Universities in 2010-2014 No. 1. 2. 3. University King Saud University Cairo University Sultan Qaboos University United Arab Emirates 4. University 5. Khalifa University 6. University of Oxford National University of 7. Singapore 8. University of Jordan Sharif University of 9. Technology 10. University of Qatar 8.3 2010 1,594 1,234 345 2011 2,681 1,545 374 2012 3,107 1,846 436 2013 3,066 1,831 471 2014 3,086 1,709 478 Total 13,534 8,165 2,104 319 37 64 312 51 57 310 116 43 339 207 15 299 154 7 1,579 565 186 53 2 72 3 40 2 6 2 2 2 173 11 1 2 - 2 - 1 - 2 - 7 1 Best Paper Award Sultan Qaboos University honors the author(s) of the best paper from each SQU journal on the University Day. The editorial board of each SQU journal makes the selection of the winning paper. In 2013, the best paper awards were given to five papers as shown in Table 8.31. Table 8.3: The winners of the best paper awards in 2013 Name 1 Abdulgabbar, Mohammed Al Sharafi. The Metonymic Functions of the verb fa?ala in the Holy Qur‟an– Sultan Qaboos University Journal for Arts and Social Sciences, Vol.4. Issue 2,pp.5-24 2 Al Shayeb, Abdel Hafez. The Effect of Score Resolution Method among Raters' Ratings of Writing Tasks and Number of Scoring Rubric Categories on the Operational Score - The Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies,Vol.7. Issue 2, p.226237 3 Muniandy, Ratnasamy; Aburkaba, Eltaher Elzarroug; Taha, Ramze. Effect of Mineral Filler Type and Particle Size on the Engineering Properties of Stone Mastic Asphalt Pavement- The Journal of Engineering Research,Vol.10 Issue 2,pp.13-32 4 Al-Lawati, Jawad Ahmed; Sulaiman, Kadhim Jaffer; Panduranga, Prashanth. The Epidemiology of Acute Coronary Syndrome in Oman: Results from the OmanRACE Study (Original Study) -SQU Medical Journal- Vol 13, Issue 1,pp.43-50 5 Al-Sayigh, Abdulrazak Siddiq. Neprotalia Omanensis and Orbiculina Musawaensis from the Sultanate of Oman- SQU Journal for Science-Vol.18 Issue 1 pp.41-53 6 Kotagama, Hemesiri Bandara; Al Alawi, Amani Juma Thuwaini; Boughanmi, Houcine Ali; Zekri, Slim Mohammed; Jayasuriya, Hemanatha Priyadarshana; Mbaga, Msafiri Daudi. Economic Analysis Determining the Optimal Replanting Age of Date Palm SQU Agricultural & Marine Sciences Journal Vol.18 Issue 1 pp.51-61 70 8.4 Students Research Awards Students of SQU brought home four prestigious awards in 2013. The details are given below: 8.4.1 Imperial Barrel Award A group of students from the College of Science and the College of Engineering bagged the first place in the regional level (Middle East) competition held in Abu Dhabi on 14 March 2013 for the Imperial Barrel Award (IBA). Later that year, a team of five students from the same colleges at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) won the third place in the international competition held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. 8.4.2 Middle East Student Day Students from the Earth Science Department, College of Science, won the first and second prizes of the First Middle East Student Day and Challenge Ball held in April 2013 at the United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, UAE. 8.4.3 Robot Competition Selected students from the College of Engineering won the first and second prizes during the Robot Competition held in May 13, 2013 at the Middle East College of Information Technology. 8.4.4 Submarine Design Dr Jamil Abdoum and Dr Nasser bin Ahmad Al Azri from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at the College of Engineering led the group students. The submarine Sultana II won the fourth place in the 12th Human-Powered International Submarine Race (ISR), which was recently held in eastern Maryland, United States in August 2013. 8.4.5 Self Drive Car Selected students from the College of Engineering won the first prize as the Jaguar Team amongst the 16 groups from different colleges and institutions from the Sultanate in two levels of evaluation in April and September 2013. 8.5 Conclusions In 2013, 9 faculty members were awarded as best researchers and six were given the best paper awards for papers published in the following SQU journals: Agricultural and Marine Sciences , the Medical Journal, the University Journal of Science and the Journal of Engineering Research. Students of SQU continue to demonstrate their creativity not only in regional competitions but also in international ones. 71 9 Colleges’ Reports 9.1 Introduction SQU has nine colleges. Of these, five are science-based and four are humanities-based. All science-based colleges, with the exception of the College of Nursing, have postgraduate programmes and all of them engage in research. All humanities-based colleges except the College of Law have postgraduate programmes and these colleges are also involved in research. The research performance of all colleges varies very widely. The major factors impacting research are common to all colleges and these are funds, infrastructure, graduate programmes and expertise. Some colleges have easy access to external funds, while some are mostly dependent on internal funding. All colleges have access to the six types of funding described in this document. It is also a fact that science-based colleges are far ahead of humanities-based colleges in terms of research. This trend is slowly changing and a new research culture has taken root in all colleges. The paradigm “publish or perish” has been lately considered seriously since it is linked to the career progression of individual faculty. SQU‟s strategic plans consider academic research as very important since it is linked to the quality of tertiary education, capacity building and world university rankings. All colleges produce their own annual reports and provide details of all their activities. Here, brief reports on the colleges are provided with messages from the Deans, the status of postgraduate studies, research areas and funding, research outputs and lists of publications. 72 9.2 College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences (CAMS) 9.2.1 Message from the Dean Prof. Anvar Kacomiv The graduate and research programs of the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences is a direct response to the global missions the college has set for itself: (i) develop human resources to meet challenges in producing food while conserving the natural environment and biodiversity, processing food to add value and trading food to ensure food security in Oman; (ii) find solutions to issues of strategic importance through basic and applied research and disseminate knowledge to the Omani and international communities which will result in continuous improvements to the quality of life; and (iii) coordinate career guidance for students at CAMS, provide continuous education for professionals in CAMS and the wider community and consult private and public sector agencies to facilitate progress of a knowledge-based society. In line with the University Strategic Plan, the researchers in the college are actively seeking funding from external agencies (TRC, Agriculture Development Fund, IIC, etc.) to diversify and increase its research budget. In these funds, researchers include significant budget for postgraduate training through scholarships and research assistantships which have resulted in a slight increase in the number of recruited post-graduate students 9.2.2 Research Areas and Funding CAMS has defined five main research areas: food production and processing; human nutrition; land and water natural resources management; food security; marine production; and environment. Many research projects carried out at CAMS are difficult to categorise in a single “research theme”. Food production and processing research for example involves aspects of research dealing with biological and environmental issues (e.g. agronomy) but also has industrial links (e.g. food processing) and is often directly linked to life and health sciences (e.g. nutritional studies). Similarly, research in natural resource economics often deals with social as well as industrial issues and research carried out in the Department of Marine Science and Fisheries has strong relevance to environmental issues (e.g. oceanography) and industry (e.g. fisheries). These multidisciplinary aspects are essential elements of the research at CAMS and reflect the complexity of the development of a sustainable food production system. Here the classification provided is based on the theme that dominates the project, irrespective of links to other themes. In 2013, a total of 18 new research projects were initiated for a total monetary value of RO 984,748 (see table 9.2.2 for more details). 73 Table 9.2.2: CAMS funded research projects in 2013 Total Funds Number of Projects No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Research Area Animal & Veterinary Sciences Crop Sciences Food Science and Nutrition Marine Science and Fisheries Natural Resource Economics Soils, Water & Agricultural Engineering Total IG HMTF 0 0 TRC FURAP 0 2 1 1 0 2 Contract External (RO) 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 108,728 11,000 0 0 2 0 92,400 2 0 0 2 0 30,580 0 0 2 3 1 762,040 7 1 2 8 1 1,004,748 Postgraduate Studies Table:9.2.2.1 Shows the numbers of MSc and PhD students admitted, registered and graduated in the period 2012-2013 Numbers Graduated 2012-13 Total Numbers No Name of the program Intake Registered 2012 2013 MSc PhD MSc PhD MSc PhD MSc PhD 1 Animal Sciences 2 6 1 1 2 Crop Production 0 2 2 0 3 Crop Protection 3 9 3 1 4 Crop Sciences (PhD) 1 6 0 0 5 Food Science and 4 1 22 4 4 7 0 Nutrition 6 Marine Science and 3 1 8 1 1 1 0 Fisheries 7 Natural Resource 1 6 2 1 Economics 8 Agricultural Engineering 1 4 0 3 9 Soil and Water 2 0 6 2 0 0 0 1 Management 9.2.3 Research Output Table 9.2.3: CAMS research output in 2012-2013 Year Journal Books Book Chapters 2012 2013 99 137 8 4 29 25 Conference 108 142 Technical Reports 18 15 Others Total 6 13 268 336 74 9.3 College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) 9.3.1 Message from the Dean The college's growth has produced diverse and well-established programs in different disciplines. With a view to local community and market needs, it has introduced three Ph.D. programs in History, Arabic Language & Literature, and Information Studies. Similar programs are being prepared in other fields too. MA programs are now offered in almost all college departments. 9.3.2 Research Areas and Funding Table 9.3.2 provides a summary of the number of research projects awarded funding in 2013 organized by research area and also by the Dr. Abdullah Al - Kindi source of funding. Only three projects were funded from all sources in 2013. Seven projects from each of the three categories HMTF, TRC and Others were funded in 2013 amounted to OMR 1, 545,420 which is higher compared in 2012 of OMR 174,150. Table 9.3.2: CASS funded research projects in 2013. Research area Arabic English History Geography Sociology & Social Work Information Studies Archeology Total Number of Projects IG 0 0 0 0 HMTF 0 0 0 2 TRC 0 3 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 - 2 7 0 7 Total Funds Contract 0 0 0 0 0 External 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 - Others RO 1 85,000 0 83,500 0 2000 1 869,000 3 381,400 1 93,.600 1 7 30,920 1,545,420 9.3.3 Research Output Table 9.3.3 shows the research output in CASS for the years 2012-2013. The total output in 2012 was 150 publications. As for 2013, the total number of publications was 292 of which 28% were in refereed journals and 27% were in conference proceedings. Over fifty percent (55%) of the total number of publications in 2013 were in Books, Book Chapters, Technical Reports and Others. Forty two scholarly books were published. Table 9.3.3: Research output in the academic years 2012-2013 Book Technical Technical Year Journal Books Conference Others Total Chapters Reports Production 11 18 44 9 7 150 2012 61 12 42 37 80 22 15 292 2013 84 75 9.4 College of Economics and Political Science (CEPS) 9.4.1 Message from the Dean Since its inception The College of Economics and Political Science has placed the goals of teaching and research excellence in the forefront. Building on its diverse faculty body, the college aims to enhance its scholarly and professional contributions that benefit both the local and international communities. On the research front, CEPS faculty members continue to contribute vigorously through active research. Scholarly research has been focused on advancing knowledge and developing practical solutions to meet local needs. Utilizing various grants and funding sources, such as Strategic Grants from His Majesty Trust Fund (HMTF) and Internal Grants, CEPS scholars have sought to link with industry to Dr. Fahim Al- Marhurbi achieve great synergies and improved research outcomes. The linkage between CEPS and the community are further strengthened through its postgraduate programs. The college has continued the development its Master‟s programs offerings. In additional to its current Masters of Business Administration (MBA), CEPS now offers a Masters of Arts in International Relations and Security Studies (IRSS) and a Masters of Sciences in Information Systems. These dynamic programs aim to address the current market needs and requirements. CEPS will continue to pursue excellence in various related disciplines to remain at the forefront of Business, Economic and Political Science higher education institutes. 9.4.2 Research Areas and Funding Research in CEP takes place in seven areas. These are: Accounting; Management; Information Systems; Operation Management and Business Statistics; Marketing; Business Communication; and Economics and Finance. These areas correspond to the departments in the College and the major themes have not been defined. There are opportunities for interdisciplinary studies. CEP is also well placed to secure funding from the commercial sector, including banks, private companies and industries. Table 9.4.2: Research projects funded in 2013 Research Area Number of Projects IG HM Operation Management 1 Information Systems 1 Economics and Finance 1 Total 2 1 Total Funds RO 8,500 80,000 2,700 91, 200 76 9.4.3 Research Output In 2013, refereed journal articles accounted for 60% of the CEPS publications, while the conference proceedings constituted 38% as detailed in Table 9.4.3. Table 9.4.3: CEPS research output for the year 2013 No Department Refereed Journal Articles 1 Accounting 2 Management 8 3 Information Systems 2 Operation Management 8 4 and Business Statistics 5 Marketing 2 6 Economics and Finance 5 Total 25 Type Book Chapters 1 1 Total Conference Proceedings 1 2 3 8 1 11 5 16 2 16 2 7 42 77 9.5 College of Education (CED) 9.5.1 Message from the Dean In line with its vision and mission, the CED is committed to producing and disseminating knowledge and expertise to the broader community of researchers, practitioners and policy-makers through its published research and various presentation platforms. During the recent years, the College has undertaken enormous steps to enhance its ability to conduct socially relevant research that tackles educational issues of societal concern. Similarly, the College has taken necessary steps to position itself as the house of expertise in education. Moreover, the College has worked diligently to encourage and facilitate conference attendance for its faculty so that their findings can be disseminated both regionally and internationally. For the past several years we have been exploring international research collaboration. The main purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive account of research activities in the College Prof. Thuwayba as a quality indicator. This report reflects the broad spectrum of research Al - Barwani activity at the CED. It summarizes funded research projects and different types of faculty publications, as well as participation in international conferences. It also offers an overview of the current lines of research in different departments and the interdisciplinary research teams that have been forged. The data reported here reveal that the College has made significant improvements since the previous report. I would like to express my sincere thanks to the DVC for Postgraduate Studies and Research, and the Deanship of Research for their support and encouragement without which it would not have been possible to achieve these important milestones. I hope that this research report will foster dialogue between the College and our stakeholders so that our research can have a role in generating new knowledge that would have a positive contribution to policy decisions in the Sultanate. 9.5.2 Research Areas and Funding Table 9.5.2: CED funded research projects in 2013 Research Grants Number of Projects Total Funds (RO) 5 1 3 9 56,725 45,350 262, 800 364, 875 IG HMTF TRC Total 9.5.3 Research Output Table 9.5.3: CED research output for the years 2012-2013 Book Year Journal Books Conference Technical Reports Others Total Chapters 7 17 105 2 68 357 2012 158 8 3 135 230 524 2013 148 78 9.6 College of Engineering (COE) 9.6.1 Message from the Dean The College of Engineering is one of first colleges to be established in Sultan Qaboos University with one of the objectives is to boost the research and consultancy to meet the local and the region needs. The steady growth of research from two projects in 1996 to an average of more than 25 projects per year for the period 2010-2013 is a proof of aspiration with dedication to bring the College at the forefront of research in the region. The beginning of doctoral programs demonstrates the process of transformation to a new caliber, which will bring it one step closer to realize its vision and mission of an outstanding college. The doctoral programs will augment our current high quality Bachelor‟s and Master‟s programs. They will also Dr. Ali Al- Harthy promote, support and advance an all-encompassing community of researchers, educators and learners who participate in our programs. Simultaneously, the applied focus of our research and postgraduate studies will strengthen our role as an active participant in solving the problems facing our local and regional communities as well as expanding the existing knowledge base. Faculty and alumni from our college regularly receive national acclaim as educators, scholars and professionals. Three faculty members from the college are leading three different research centers in SQU, furthermore two research centers are housed in the college. The College‟s priority is to put dedicated and focused efforts towards enhancing the scholarly and creative accomplishments of its faculty and students. Together, with the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research, the College will reinforce relationship between postgraduate education and research to flourish generation of knowledge with passion to achieve great goals. 9.6.2 Research Areas and Funding Research, both fundamental and applied is conducted in all departments of the College. The research areas are of high importance to Oman and Omani industries. In 2013, 23 projects received funding from various research grants. The largest fund-generating grants were from The Research Council (60%) and Consultancy Services (24%). In 2013, the total funding of RO 781, 006 declined from RO 1,300,635 of 2012 . Table 9.6.2: COE funded research projects in 2013 Research Grants IG TRC Consultancy External Joints Total Number of Projects 11 2 7 1 2 23 Total Funds (RO) 80, 000 467, 700 189, 353 3, 953 40, 000 781, 006 79 9.6.3 Research Output Table 9.6.3 presents the research output of the COE in 2013. Refereed journal articles accounted for 53% of all publications, while the papers in conference proceedings formed 37% The remaining 10% were accounted to book, book chapters and others. The COE also has its own refereed journal, The Journal of Engineering Research, which is indexed in SCOPUS. Table 9.6.3: Research output of all departments at the COE in 2013 Book Department Journal Book Conference Chapter Technical Reports Total Civil and Architectural Engineering 17 1 1 13 2 34 Electrical and Computer Engineering 37 - 2 36 10 85 Mechanical and Industrial Engineering 22 - - 25 7 54 Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Total 56 - 1 19 - 76 132 1 4 93 19 249 80 9.7 College of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS) 9.7.1 Message from the Dean Prof. Omar Al- Rawas Medical and Health research is important for the Omani society where it is expected to find solutions and provide databases and outcomes that help to specifically solve health issues. Furthermore, such research also contributes to building infrastructure and prepare a generation of Omani researchers. The College of Medicine and Health Sciences (COMHS) focuses on high-quality research on themes that are highly relevant to Oman and Omani health problems, and also on translational research linking basic biomedical research to clinical practice. The main research themes in the College are: blood disorders, cancer, the metabolic syndrome, genetics and health systems research. It encourages local and international collaboration, and interdisciplinary approaches integrating expertise of researchers and clinicians from different disciplines that will help to develop and sustain advanced biomedical research. 9.7.2 Research Areas and Funding Table 9.7.2: COMHS funded research projects in 2013 No Research Area Number of Projects IG HMTF TRC Contract 1 Biochemistry 2 1 1 0 2 Child Health 1 0 1 1 3 Family Medicine 2 0 0 0 and Public Health 4 Human and 1 0 0 0 Clinical Anatomy 5 Medicine 3 0 1 0 6 Microbiology & 2 0 0 0 Immunology 7 Pharmacology & 1 0 1 0 Clinical Pharmacy 8 Behavioral 0 0 0 1 Medicine 9 Surgery 0 1 0 0 External 1 0 0 Total Funds RO 332,200 52,824.500 19,736 0 14,000 0 188,714 0 25,000 0 142,400 0 4,231.332 0 125,000 9.7.3 Postgraduate Studies The current MSc programs in the COMHS are two-years full time programs. Eight departments have been granted the option of offering MSc degrees. Currently, only six departments (7 programs) in our college have active MSc Programs. The PhD programs are research-based programs aimed at developing research expertise in different specializations and equipping students with relevant specialized skills. 81 The following table shows the number of the MSc and PhD students in different departments: Table 9.7.3: Numbers of MSc/PhD students at COMHS in 2012-2013 2012-13 Intake No Name of the Program 1 2 3 4 5 6 7. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Clinical Biochemistry Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacy Family Medicine & Public Health Medical Microbiology Physiology Genetics Total Numbers Registered MSc 3 PhD 2 MSc 11 PhD 5 2 3 0 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 5 6 1 6 2 0 0 1 4 0 2 4 2012-13 Numbers Graduated MSc PhD 1 1 5 2 6 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9.7.4 Research Output The ADPSR Office is responsible for coordinating the funding processes pertaining to research and consultancy in the COMHS in association with the Deanship of Research. The Office, together with the College Medical Research Committee, administers the funding processes of research projects. Published research is now recognized as the main aspect by which universities are ranked. The higher administration of SQU is fully aware of this fact and important steps have been taken at different levels to increase awareness among all the faculty and staff of the University. Table 9.7.4: Research output at COMHS in 2013 No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Total Department Behavioral Medical Biochemistry Child Health Family Med. & Public Health Genetic Hematology Human & Clinical Anatomy Medical Education Unit Medicine Microbiology & Immunology Obstetrics & Gynecology Ophthalmology Pathology Pharmacology & Clinical Pharmacy Physiology Surgery Refereed Journal 19 25 47 Publication Books/ Conference Book chapters Proceedings 0 42 0 5 0 0 Total / Department 61 30 47 15 1 0 16 29 23 11 4 25 3 0 0 1 3 7 4 0 0 6 39 27 11 5 34 47 0 4 51 18 15 31 2 2 0 9 9 2 29 26 33 54 1 26 81 11 37 411 0 1 14 4 7 125 15 45 550 82 9.8 College of Nursing (CON) 9.8.1 Message from the Dean Productivity in research at the College of Nursing has been progressing over the years. During 2013, a total of 41 research articles were published by faculty at the College of Nursing, which shows an increase of around 75% in the number of journal article publications compared to the years 2011 and 2012. The number of conference proceeding/ attendance during 2013 was 34. During 2013, three (3) book chapters by faculty at College of Nursing were approved for publication. Work is going on for the preparation of a Master of Nursing program that we anticipate to start in Fall 2015. With the establishment of postgraduate programs we are optimistic that in the next few years, the research output of our College will grow significantly. Prof. Bazdawi Al- Riyami 9.8.2 Research Areas and Funding The main focus of the College of Nursing faculty research studies are in the following areas. (1) Nursing Capacity Building (2) Colorectal Cancer Screening (3) Hypertension; Childbirth Education Interventions; Educational Intervention on Anemia; Postoperative Complications; Diabetes Education Program for Self-care; Simulation Based Training; Evidenced-Based Practice; Electric Medical Record System‟s Usability Faculty members at the College of Nursing strive to acquire grants from different funding resources. Table 9.8.2 summarizes the research funds that were obtained in years 2012-2013 along with sources of fusing and the amounts granted. There has been an increase of around 500% in the amounts of funds acquired during 2013 (US$ 259,363.00 /OMR 99,852.16) compared to the year 2012 (US$ 46,150.00 / OMR 17,767.29). One research project leaded by Dr. Esra Alkhasawneh has been funded through His Majesty Strategic Research Fund. During 2013, two studies were funded through Faculty Mentored Undergraduate Research Award Program (FURAP) by the Research Council. Table 9.8.2: CON funded research projects in 2012-2013 Dean’s Strategic Internal Grants Fund Grant 2012 1 5 0 2013 5 1 1 FURAP Total 0 2 6 9 9.8.3 Research Output Table 9.8.3 summarizes numbers of scientific papers published by College of Nursing faculty. The table shows that the research productivity at the College of Nursing has been increasing by faculty at the College of Nursing were approved for publication. Table 9.8.3: Research output of the CON in 2012-2013 Year Journal Book Chapters Conference Total 2012 2013 23 41 3 37 34 60 78 83 9.9 College of Science (COS) 9.9.1 Message from the Dean Looking back over the years since the inception of Sultan Qaboos University, one can‟t help admiring the phenomenal strides made by the College of Science on the research front. The college has been catapulted to prominence in part by the relative ease with which infrastructure and the academic programs, particularly postgraduate studies have grown. The major sources of research funding are internal grants (IG), His Majesty‟s strategic grants (SR), The Research council grants (TRC) and contract research grants (CR). In 2013 research funds in the college totted up to about OMR 316,722 of which the Department of Chemistry and DOMAS had a lion‟s share (84.3%) as presented in Table 8.9.2.1. The departments that have managed to secure TRC or CR grants have managed to secure TRC or CR grants in 2013 are DOMAS, Chemistry and Earth Prof. Saif Al- Bahry Sciences. These prestigious grants provide prodigious sums of money for capital equipment, research projects, postgraduate scholarships and remunerations for research assistants and postdoctoral fellows. Although the college did not secure the SR grants in 2013, it played a leading role in obtaining funds of 1.2 million OMR from TRC to support innovation activities in the Academic Innovation Assistant Program (AIAP) and proudly codirected the program with a team from the College of Engineering, the College of Economics and Political Science and the Innovation Affairs Department. 9.9.2 Research Areas and Funding It is gratifying that the culture of research in the College is well and truly cultivated. The breadth of scholarly activities of the College as recorded in this Annual Research Report is remarkable and is the hallmark of an institution striving for excellence and international recognition. The most notable research output in 2013 comprised 178 peer-reviewed articles in international journals and 9 books and book chapters; the peer-reviewed articles figures are higher than those of the previous year, with DOMAS and Chemistry leading. However, to analyse the successes of the departments, one ought to put these figures (Table 8.9.2) into perspective by taking into account the sizes of the departments. Just over a hundred oral and poster presentations were given at local and international conferences and 25 research visits were made mainly overseas. Established researchers in the College were honoured with invitations to review articles for international journals or to serve on editorial boards as well as conference organising committees. In addition the college strived its research collaboration with many international institutions the most noticeable with KREMS university (Austria) in the area of Biotechnology. 84 Table 9.9.2: COS funded research projects in 2013 Number of Project Total Department IG SR TRC CR OMR Biology Chemistry Computer Science Earth Science Mathematics & Statistic Physics Total 1 6 2 0 6 1 16 0 0 0 0 0 0 - 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 7600 190,568 3085 35944 76475 3050 316,722 9.9.3 Research Output Table 9.9.3 shows the research output of the college in 2013. While some colleagues are prospering in leaps and bounds in research, there are scores that are not shaken by the winds of change and are consistently making little or no contribution at all to the College research output. Table 9.9.3: Research output of the COS in 2012-2013 Book Year Journal Books Conference Chapters 2012 2013 128 178 9 3 8 6 54 60 Total 199 247 85 10 Research Centers’ Reports 10.1 Introduction SQU recognizes research, innovation and development as a major mission and, therefore, attaches a lot of importance to such scholarly activities. Research is carried out in the Colleges and in the research centres. Currently, there are ten research centres which play an important role in coordinating research at SQU and in the Sultanate. These research centres are continually evolving as mandated by their strategic plans to reach their full potential as research institutions, with their own infrastructure, staff and funding, from which strategic research projects can be launched. Some research centres have already established their leadership in specific research areas. This report is a summary of the research activities, teaching and community services performed by the research centres in 2013. The ten research centres are administratively under the DVC for Postgraduate Studies and Research (DVC-PSR). The advisory board for all the centres is appointed for a three-year term by the Vice Chancellor and consists of the DVC-PSR (Chair), two SQU Deans, two Research Centre Directors and three members from the public and private sectors. Each centre has a Steering Committee consisting of a Director (Chair), a representative of the DVC-PSR, two faculty members and two representatives from the private and public sectors. The Steering Committee is appointed for a two-year term by the DVC-PSR and their duties, among others, include developing strategies for research and funding. Programme coordinators are appointed by the Director on a part-time basis and they are responsible for coordinating research, consultancies, capacity building and training, as well as the publication of results and activities. Participants in the activities of any of these centres are drawn from SQU staff, faculty, researchers, postgraduate students, and technical staff. Members outside SQU may contribute to the activities of the centre. 86 10.2 Centre for Environmental Studies and Research (CESAR) 10.2.1 Message from the Director As the Sultanate of Oman reaches higher levels of economic growth, there is bound to impose pressure on the resources arising from external drivers such as new investments, and internal drivers of increased population, rural–urban migration and a growing middle class with rising needs and aspirations, and the growth of industry, tourism, and settlements. These drivers will have impacts other environment which, if unguided, may result in severe stress. Therefore, there is a need for evolving clear policies and sound technologies to guide development activity and environmental protection to achieve sustainable and green development. CESAR has taken many steps over the years to fulfill its objectives even though it is Dr. Mahad Baawain constrained by limited staff and resources. Such activities include integrated research projects on mountain ecosystem; study of thermal springs; climate change and agriculture; maintaining and regular updating of Oman Bird database; creation of a database on fungi and related taxa in Oman; publication of books and environment research directory; holding of environment related workshops, seminars, international conferences; providing consultancy and advisory services; creation of electronic group mailing system. CESAR has chalked out ambitious programs for the coming years and will keep our stakeholders involved and well-wishers informed through various mechanisms including the Center‟s website. 10.2.2 Funded Research Projects The Center for Environmental Studies and Research strives to acquire grants from local, regional and international funding agencies to help in pursuing research related to integrated environmental management. Table 10.2.2 summarizes the research funds that were obtained by CESAR and affiliated staff in the year 2013 along with the source of funding and the amounts granted. Table 10.2.2: Research projects funded in 2013 Total Funds (RO) Grants Number of Project IG 2 20000 Consultancy 2 75000 Total 3 95000 CESAR is well placed to secure funding from TRC and other funding sources inside and outside Oman. 10.2.3 Research Output Despite the limited number of staff working in or affiliated with the Center, the number of published peer reviewed articles in international journals is respectable as shown in the Table 10.2.3. The Center also participated in local media publications to share the findings of their scientific research with public. Table 10.2.3: CESAR research output in 2013 Papers Published in Refereed Journals Refereed Conference Publications Conference Presentations & Attendance Research Visits Invited Seminars & Presentations 13 3 5 1 5 87 10.3 Centre of Excellence in Marine Biotechnology (CEMB) 10.3.1 Message from the Director Dr. Stephen Goddard, previously Head of the Department of Marine Science and Fisheries (CAMS) was appointed Director of CEMB in 2012. Through most of 2012 CEMB operated with a director/researcher, two research assistants and a coordinator and continued its close liaison with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth (MoAFW) in aquaculture biotechnology and development. In December 2012, a second senior researcher, Dr. Madjid Delghandi, joined the center and has brought new core skills in the key biotechnology areas of genomics and molecular genetics. In November 2013, the Center organized the first international symposium on marine biotechnology held in the Dr. Stephen Goddard region. 150 delegates attended and 28 papers and 17 posters were presented. The center is now positioned to develop and extend its research activities within this challenging, multi-disciplinary field. 10.3.2 Funded Research Projects In March 2013, a research proposal, „Design and testing of an aquaponics (fish/hydroponic plant) production system for use in a hot arid environment‟ was funded by the Agriculture and Fisheries Development Fund of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth (MoAFW). This is a 2-year project to be conducted in collaboration with the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences and the MoAFW. The research will be conducted using facilities at the Rumais Agricultural Station. In December 2013, a research proposal „Larval culture of the tropical spiny lobster, Panulirus homarus, a new candidate species for aquaculture in Oman‟ was funded by The Research Council (Goddard, PI) for 3 years. Two further research proposals were submitted in 2013 to TRC and SQU Internal Grants Committee. Table 10.3.2: CEMB funded research projects in 2013 Funding Source Number of Projects Total Funds (RO) 1 1 44,600 243,550 288,150 AFDF TRC Total 10.3.3 Research Output Table 10.3.3: CEMB research output in 2013 Papers published in Refereed Journals Papers in Conference Proceedings Articles in Newspapers and Magazines 1 3 7 88 10.4 Communication and Information Research Centre (CIRC) 10.4.1 Message from the Director Since its inception in 2001, the center has accomplished a number of achievements mainly in capacity building, setting R&D labs, contributing to research and consultancy, organizing scientific events, serving the community, building links with different research and industry units, and cooperating with academicians and researchers within and outside SQU. Prof Hadj Bourdoucen The CIRC is building a strong research plan aligned with the short and long term needs of the Sultanate of Oman in ICT with the believe that human resources are the most valuable component for obtaining strong research results. These are to be developed in parallel with funded projects and adequate infrastructure, enrolment of high quality full time personnel, strong Master‟s and PhD programs and candidates, and goals set in line with the funded research projects. 10.4.2 Funded Research Projects Table 10.4.2: CIRC funded research projects in 2013 Funding Source The Research Council Consultancy Total Number of Projects Total Funds (OR) 1 1 2 100,200 29, 750 129,950 10.4.3 Research Output The Free and Open Source Software Conference (FOSSC-Oman‟ 2013) was jointly organized by the Communication and Information Research Center (CIRC) at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and the Information Technology Authority (ITA). The conference was held over two days, 18th and 19th February 2013 and has targeted ICT professionals, staff, students, and the broader FOSS community. The FOSSC-Oman‟ 2013 is the first edition of this event and it is planned to be held every two years in Oman. The conference include the following activities o Joining the international effort to develop and enhance LibreOffice software, 18/02/2013 o Android apps development, 18/02/2013. o Three Steps to Integrate Any Customer Service, 19/02/2013 o Digital Archiving – Alfresco Software, 19/02/2013 o Blender, 19/02/2013. o Open Source Software Competition, February 2013 Table 10.4.3: CIRC research output in 2013 Conference Papers Journal Papers Technical Reports Total 7 7 1 15 89 10.5 Earthquake Monitoring Centre (EMC) 10.5.1 Message from the Director The center organizes scientific workshops and conferences such as the Gulf Seismic Forum held during March 3-6, 2013 which was well attended. The center seeks and executes consultancy projects. In addition to consultancy, the center provides lectures and seminars and participates in earthquake education programs to raise public awareness. The Center also supports the post-graduate programs in the College of Science by providing supervision to graduate students. Dr. Issa Al- Hussain 10.5.2 Funded Research Projects The center projects are presented Table 10.5.2 Table 10.5.2: EMC funded research projects in 2013 Funding Source Number of Projects Consultancies 4 Total Total Funds (RO) 35000.00 72948.00 18000.00 90000.00 215,948.00 10.5.3 Research Output Table 10.5.3: Research output during the period 2013 Journal Papers 4 Technical Reports Conferences Papers Total 3 11 18 90 10.6 Humanities Research Centre (HRC) 10.6.1 Message from the Director The Humanities Research Center was established and started operating in Spring 2010. The most important objective of its establishment is to conduct humanities and social studies and research relevant to the Omani community in specific and Arab communities in general. The center carries out studies in the areas of social, economic and humanities and keeping up with the development and the rapid changes that occur in the Omani society. In collaboration with institutions of public and private sector, the center provides consultations and builds teams to conduct research projects and investigate problems and issues. The global challenges of the successive and rapid socio-economic transformations require to observe, try to understand and study the dimensions and implications and provide appropriate solutions. Therefore, the humanities Research Center will play a vital role in enlightening the community and aims to be a leading research center and a source of knowledge at Sultan Qaboos University. Dr. Saeed Al-Muharrami 10.6.2 Funded Research Projects The mission of the center is to explore topics, problems and disciplines, of particular importance to Oman and to conduct outstanding research at SQU in areas of Social Sciences, Education and Business. The center is trying to encourage researchers from the humanities college to come up with individual, collective and multi-displinary research proposals. Funding is sought from different sources including The Research Council. Table 10.6.2: HRC funded research projects in 2013 Source of Funding Number of Projects IG Total Funds (RO) 2 2,500 10.6.3 Research Output Table 10.6.3: HRC research output in 2013 Conference Presentation & Attendance 1 91 10.7 Oil and Gas Research Centre (OGRC) 10.7.1 Message from the Director The Center was established by Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in 2002 to conduct research and provide training and consultancy services to the oil and gas industry. The Center works closely with several national and international companies and with the different colleges and centers within SQU to find solutions to the problems facing the oil and gas industry. Areas of current research include, enhanced oil recovery, carbonate reservoir characterization, and membrane technology. The Center, through the Shell Chair, provides thesis projects and financial sponsorship for students in PhD and MSc programs in carbonate reservoir geosciences. Dr. Yahya Al- Wahaibi 10.7.2 Funded Research Projects The Centre worked on the following projects in 2013: Table 10.7.2 OGRC funded projects in 2013 Source of Funding Number of Projects Consultancies 4 TRC 1 Total Total Funds (RO) 675,577 888,904 356,720 64,615 126,400 2,112,216.000 10.7.3 Research Output Table 10.7.3 OGRC research output in 2013 Journal Papers 4 Book Chapters Conference Papers Technical Reports 2 11 1 Total 18 92 10.8 Omani Studies Centre (OSC) 10.8.1 Message from the Director Dr. Mohsin Al- Kindi In a globally changing world, preserving one‟s identity and culture becomes an utmost priority. The preservation of the country‟s cultural heritage ensures a linkage with its past achievements and future aspirations. The Omani Studies Center was established with this objective in mind. Generating modern scientific and academic knowledge and understanding the historical, cultural and social specifics of Oman are among the valuable services that SQU offers to the Omani society and the world. The mission of the OSC is to conduct and support research activities, provide consultancy services, document, preserve and disseminate knowledge on Omani society, culture and heritage. During the year 2013 OSC has organized a number of academic and research activities summarized below. 10.8.2 Projects and Activities 10.8.2.1 Research Projects Divorce in the Omani Society The Research and Studies Department in the center continued working on this study. A third workshop was conducted for assistant researchers from the Ministry of Social Development to explain in details the process of collecting data and how to manage the difficulties that they might face. Data collection started in May 2013. All the eleven Sultanate governorates were covered and a total of 555 questionnaires were collected by a total of 42 researchers and research assistants. After collecting the data, the project team examined the returned questionnaires and cancelled the ones which are not entirely completed. The team worked with a specialist in data entry and analysis from the College of Education. Several meetings were held with the specialist and agreed on the style of entering the data. An advertisement was sent for all SQU students (graduate and undergraduate) asking them to participate in entering the data. A number of 110 students applied. After studying all the applicants a number of 10 students were chosen. A workshop was conducted for data entry team, in which the way of entering data were explained. A lab in the Omani Studies Center was booked for this purpose. The data entry took a week. Now that the data is all entered and verified, the team is working on the data analysis both qualitative and quantitative. 10.8.2.2 Symposia 2013 Symposium on Muscat: History and Civilization The Symposium on Muscat: History and Civilization was held on the 27th and 28th of October, in cooperation with the Humanities Research Center and the Omani Studies Center in the University. The symposium witnessed the participation of 20 prominent Arab and foreign researchers and academics, 9 of whom residing abroad and 11 in the Sultanate of Oman. Over 93 two days, the participants discussed 19 work papers according to three sympoisum axes: the geographic-historical axis, the socioeconomic axis and the cultural axis. All discussions and analyses were objective and shed light on the history and civilization of Muscat throughout the different historical eras. Omani and Azhari Scholars The center in cooperation with Al Azhar and World Association for al-Azhar Graduates organized a symposium on Omani and Azhari Scholars, during the period 14th - 16th April 2013. The symposium focused on the shared attributes of Azhari and Omani scholars as well as their publications. 10.8.2.3 External Participants The OSC participated in the following events: Muscat International Book Fair (26th February – 7th March 2014) where the center displayed and sold a good number of its publications including the following books: No. 1. 2. Book Title Conference Proceedings The Omani Role in East Africa Two Volumes (1, 2) (The papers are in both Arabic and English) Book Cover Symposium Proceedings Suleiman Pasha Al Baroni in the Omani Literature (All the papers are in Arabic) Two Volumes (1, 2) SQU Day, 2nd May 2013: the center had a corner on this occasion where its activities, events and publications where explained to the visitors. 10.8.2.4 OSC Library Activities: The library bought a number of books related to Oman. The total number of books catalogued during 2013 is 181. Moreover, the library received 260 MA and PHD theses and dissertations. The library organized a symposium and exhibition on the occasion of World Book Day join on 24th April 2013. 94 10.9 Remote Sensing and GIS Centre (RSGISC) 10.9.1 Message from the Director The short-term vision of the Remote Sensing and GIS Center is capacity building which will lay the foundation for effective research and teaching of remote sensing and GIS courses at SQU. The Center is establishing itself as a center of excellence in the Sultanate and the region, and has developed partnerships with industry and government agencies. The Center is also the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) center for training in satellite meteorology which is coordinated by the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (Civil Aviation Affairs) and the Remote Sensing and GIS Center. The objectives of the Center are to: Dr. Andy Kwarteng Promote interdisciplinary research and projects using remote sensing and GIS; Seek and execute projects from national and international funding agencies; Develop and teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses in remote sensing and GIS; Enhance the awareness and the use of GIS within SQU, ministries, and industry; Organize thematic short courses in remote sensing and GIS for public and private sectors; Organize seminars, symposia, workshops, and conferences; and Facilitate interaction between ministries and private companies and eventually form national user and interest groups in remote sensing and GIS. 10.9.2 WMO Centre for Excellence The 7th World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Center of Excellence, Muscat, was inaugurated at SQU in February 2006. The Center is coordinated by the Directorate General of Meteorology and Air Navigation (Civil Aviation Affairs) and the SQU Remote Sensing and GIS Center. The center‟s activities are well supported by the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). More than 200 weather forecasters and environmental scientists from the Arab and southwest Asian countries have been trained since the establishment of the center in Oman. The table below shows the number of participants, participating countries and sponsors for the workshops conducted in 2013. CENTER OF EXCELLENCE WORKSHOPS Date Title Organizers Feb 9-20 2013 EUMETSAT Satellite Application Course (ESAC-ME-IX) Ground Observation and Modeling of Atmospheric Dust EUMETSAT/CoE Dec 816, 2013 WMO-SDAWAS-CoE No. of Participants 22 40 Participating Countries Egypt, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Yemen, Lebanon, Qatar, Oman Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Nigeria, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Lebanon 95 10.9.3 Funded Research Projects Table 10.9.3: RSGISC funded research projects in 2013 Title Remote Sensing and Geospatial Data Analysis of Barr Al Hikman Intertidal Ecosystem: Implications of Cascading Predator-prey Effects in a Pristine Seagrass-based Food Web Funding Agency PI Dr. Andy Kwarteng TRC Total Fund (OR) 139,700 Duration Sep 20132016 10.9.4 Research Output Research and other activities of RSGISC were performed by the director and a research scientist assistant who was employed from September 2010 to August 2012. Table 10.9.4 shows the Centre‟s publications in 2013. Table 10.9.4: RSGISC research output in 2013 Conferences 2 Journal Articles 5 Total 7 96 10.10 Water Research Centre (WRC) 10.10.1 Message from the Director Fundamental and applied thematic research in water science is of primary importance to arid and semi-arid areas such as Oman where water resources are limited and demand is growing. Such areas are suffering a water deficit and are challenged by qualitative and quantitative water issues. The main focus of the WRC at SQU is to establish, develop and coordinate fundamental and applied thematic research in water science to overcome these challenges and thereby establish a leading WRC with international recognition. The Centre strives to establish solid regional and international collaborative links as well as lead the coordination between national water related bodies to enhance water research and improve knowledge dissemination. The Centre also organizes scientific workshops Dr. Osman Abdalla and seminars and participates in events to raise public awareness. In addition, consultancy and training are provided by the Centre as important community services. The Centre also supports the postgraduate programmes in the Colleges by providing close supervision to graduate students. 10.10.2 Funded Research Projects The Water Research Center strives to acquire grants from local, regional and international funding agencies to help in pursuing research related to water science. Table 10.10.2 summarizes the research funds that were obtained by WRC affiliated staff in the 2013 along with the source of funding and the amounts granted. Table 10.10.2: WRC funded research projects in 2013 Source of Funding Number of Projects Total Funds (OR) External 2 44, 534 External (USAID) 1 116,460.300 Total 3 160,994.300 10.10.3 Research Output Despite the limited number of staff working in or affiliated with the Center, the number of published peer reviewed articles in international journals is quite satisfactory. The Center also publishes a newsletter and participated in the local media publications to share with public the findings of the scientific research. Table 10.10.3: WRC research output in 2013 Papers published in the Refereed Journal Refereed Conference Publications Published Scientific Articles Book/Book Chapters Conference Presentations & Attendance Research Visits Invited Seminars & Presentations 40 17 2 1 7 8 19 97