Annual Book Fair Attracts Readers
News Round Up
Literature and Society
Mind Over Matter
Grand Mufti Delivers Lecture at SQU
News Update
The Power of Omani
Frankincense
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 228
View Point
For a Noble Cause
Humaid Abdullah Al Adwani
Editorial Supervision & Editor in Chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Younis Al Harrasi
Editor & Translator
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
The term ‘disabled’ is aptly redefined as “differently abled”. One can judiciously define disability as a difference. It can be a gift rather than an
impairment. A person who is weak in one area, that is to say unable to perform well in that area, may be outstanding and hence gifted in another area.
In students with disabilities giftedness is often overlooked. The difficulties
that are associated with their disability make identification unlikely. The
need to have their special abilities acknowledged and specifically catered
for is essential for gifted students with disabilities. Focus should be placed
on enhancing their strengths and enabling participation although interventions may be necessary to reduce the effect of disability. Considered on the
basis of their own abilities and disabilities each student will have individual
needs and should have an education program catering to meeting those
needs.
The philosophy of education for disabled students is that in assessments it
is important to identify gifted students, because students with disabilities
are often overlooked. To “shine” alongside their non-disabled peers, assessment techniques designed for regular students may not allow the gifts possessed by students with disabilities to be detected. Specifically for students
with disabilities, assessment procedures need to be adapted. While making
adaptations to minimize the effects of disability, teaching methods must focus on enhancing each student’s strengths. Regardless of disability, gifted
students need to have their special abilities nurtured and the opportunity to
succeed. Eventually, this philosophy is not only a philosophy of education
for disabled students, but also a philosophy of education for students with
special gifts. The implementation of this philosophy is essential in educating students with special gifts and needs.
We can proudly say that SQU is home to “the Disability Group” (Ibdah al
Baseera) a student group that caters for students with disabilities in their educational needs. The leaders of this group have the conviction that students
with disabilities are like all others, with needs, limitations, and dreams of
their own. Since its inception in 2008, Ibda al Baseera, has been accompanying youngsters living with a disability to help make their dreams come
true. It also assists parents in their efforts to provide all the care, attention,
and support their children’s needs. The group deserves more support from
all corners.
Horizon invites contributions from SQU members of staff and faculty. Contributions in the form of articles,
news, travelogues, stories of unique and interesting experiences, encounters, etc., are welcome. Contributions
may be edited for the sake of clarity and length. Please send your contributions to horizon@squ.edu.om preferably, as MSWord attachments. Authors will be suitably credited.
Horizon is published three times a month by the Department of Public Relations and Information,
Sultan Qaboos University, P.O. Box 50, P.C. 123, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
Phone: +968 24141045
E-mail: horizon@squ.edu.om
20 December 2011 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
Grand Mufti Delivers
Lecture at SQU
His Eminence Sheikh Ahmed Bin Hamad Al Khalili, the Sultanate’s
Grand Mufti, delivered a lecture on “Bioethics and its and its challenges for doctors, patients and the community”, at the Grand Hall at
Sultan Qaboos University Cultural Centre recently.
He said the profession of medicine has deep roots in human life and
contributes to protecting the life of man, who is the best creature on
earth. Therefore, the doctor and the patient have to work together for
the sake of humanity, he said. HE Dr. Ali Bin Saud Al Bimani, ViceChancellor of SQU, and physicians, academics and medical students
were present during the lecture session. Khalili said meetings between
scientists and physicians are important to explain the issues of the age,
and to discuss new aspects in the field of medicine in order to be able
to issue the religious rule.The Grand Mufti highlighted the significant
role played by the doctor in raising the patient’s spirit.
Prior to the lecture of the Grand Mufti, a brief outline about the National Committee on Bioethics was given by members of the committee. The committee is aimed at evolving and providing information on
bioethics for researchers and medical professionals in Oman and to
raise awareness in this regard. The committee is also responsible for
developing a national plan for monitoring the rapid changes in biological and medical sciences and taking appropriate positions on them.
The committee will also consider the ethical implications of medical
practice and advancements in biological research on society and propose draft laws or regulations governing bioethics. It will also play a
key role in coordinating and exchanging views and promoting dialogue between the national bioethics committees of other countries.
News Update
SQU Signs Agreement
with Shell
Sultan Qaboos University signed an agreement with Shell Development
Oman and the Ministry of Social Development to train Omani ladies to
deal with children with special needs. The training will cost more than
97,000 Omani Riyals. The agreement is to train 25 ladies working at Al
Wafa Social Volunteer Centers around the Sultanate. There are 23 centers around the Sultanate which serves more than 2200 disabled child.
The training will take place at Sultan Qaboos University for 2 years.
This training programme has been tailored specifically to educate those
ladies on how to teach and deal with the children with special need.
Dr. Hamed bin Suleiman Al Salmi, SQU Deputy Vice Chancellor for
Administration and Financial Affairs, and Khalfan Bin Harib Al Jabri,
General Manager for Planning and Studies at the Ministry of Social Development, signed the agreement whereas Mr. Hilal Al Mawali, General
Manager-External Affairs of Shell Development Oman signed on behalf
of the company.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Hamed Al Salmi said that SQU is
proud to be associated with an initiative that serves a noble cause of
serving children with special needs. Hilal Al Mawali, General ManagerExternal Affairs of Shell Development Oman, said: “We are pleased to
finance this training programme, which aims at developing the capacity of Omani ladies and enable them to enhance their skills to be able to
deal with the handicapped children, who are a very important segment
of our society. This agreement is part of Shell’s training for Development
Programme, one of Shell’s social investment programmes in Oman”.
Gathering Sheds Light on Securities Market
The Seventh annual Muscat Securities Market gathering at Sultan
Qaboos University was opened under the patronage of HH Sayyida Dr. Muna bint Fahad al Said, SQU’s Assistant Vice Chancellor
for External Cooperation. The event was organized by the Commercial Investment Club, a subsidiary of the Business Society in
the College of Commerce & Economics. The activities continued
for two days, and the participants included students from SQU and
other educational institutions in the Sultanate of Oman, officials
from the financial sector in Oman, Brokers Association Oman, local and international banks, and Omani brokerage firms.
The forum included the Muscat Securities Market’s seventh exhibition on education, in addition to the activities of some participating
students from the College of Commerce and Economics in related
aspects of investment and savings. The gathering was aimed at
offering investment experience to the students. It also distributed
brochures and pamphlets which contribute to raising awareness on
the saving and investment knowledge among visitors.
Other highlights of the gathering were a seminar on Oman’s 2020
vision delivered by Dr. Hatem Al-Shanfari, Assistant Professor
in the Department of Economics & Finance of the College of Commerce &
Economics, and a video portraying the life of Steven Paul Jobs, the American
businessman and inventor widely recognized as a charismatic pioneer of the
personal computer revolution.
20 December 2011 P3
Insight
The Power of Omani Frankincense
By: Dr. Ann Mothershaw, Department
of Food Science & Nutrition, CAMS
For millennia frankincense, also called olibanum, which is derived from the
Arabic al-lubān, has played a key role in the culture and trading of the Sultanate of Oman. The people of Oman have a great regard for frankincense.
In recent years there has been a resurgence in the demand for traditional
more ‘natural’ products which has stimulated the use of frankincense both
in traditional ways and also in new product development. Frankincense
now has applications in the cosmetics and food industry, in health foods
and supplements, in prophylaxis and in medicines. Frankincense has developed a good reputation for both healing and safety based on thousands
of years of use without reports of side effects.
Frankincense starts as an aromatic oleo-gum resin, which in Oman is produced by trees of the species Boswellia sacra. In most instances the product
is referred to in a general way as frankincense, followed by the nature of the
product e.g. smoke, resin or oil. This tends to overlook the very important
consideration that frankincense is a natural product and as such is subject to considerable variation in some properties. These variations may be
a consequence of a range of factors such as different geographical locations
for the producing trees, leading to variations in nutrient and water availability, climate etc; the harvesting method, including the time, the number
of incisions, the age of the tree etc; and also potentially the species of the
producing tree.
In Oman, frankincense resin is segregated into different grades namely Hojari, Nejdi, Shazri and Sha’bi. Grading is carried out by traders based on the
region of production and evaluation of criteria such as the texture, size of
pieces and colour, using traditional methods passed down through generations rather than by defined scientific specifications. Hojari is classed as the
highest quality and Sha’bi as the lowest. Hojari contains a number of variants and is therefore further sub-divided into sub-groups such as Hojari
green and Hojari white.
Different grades have traditionally become associated with different uses
e.g. burning, chewing, and dissolving in water to drink. This supports the
premise that the different grades have varying properties making them
more or less appropriate for different applications. The economic value of
the different grades can vary significantly. However, for scientific considerations, of greater importance is that some consistency of batches of ‘frankincense’ needs to be established as frankincense is currently the focus of
many in-depth scientific investigations. Particularly of interest is its biological activity including its potential as a medicine to aid in the treatment of
a range of diseases including cancer and cardiovascular and inflammatory
diseases. If large amounts of time and resources are to be devoted to making products from frankincense the nature of the raw ingredients should be
clearly defined, so that some standardization can be achieved facilitating
reproducible results.
Although frankincense has a long history of beneficial use there are many
aspects concerning its active components and mode of action that remain
unclear, for example little is known of the properties and activity of the
smoke. Therefore, Dr Ann Mothershaw and Zahra Al Kharousi from the
20 December 2011 P4
Food Science and Nutrition Department within the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, have prepared a detailed, systematic,
research schedule with an overall objective of establishing a database of the physical, chemical and antimicrobial properties of Omani
frankincense resin, oil and smoke. The two extreme grades of Omani frankincense resin (Boswellia sacra) will be compared: the highest quality (Hojari) and the lowest quality (Sha’bi). The work will
involve collaboration with various colleagues, other colleges and
universities and will be financed by internal research funding from
SQU. The study is in its initial stages, but progress has been made.
Initially, the physical properties of Hojari and Shabi resin were compared. The goal was to identify any potential links between physical properties, grade and use. Some statistically significant different
parameters were identified between the two grades including the
colour attributes and it was concluded, that these physical properties of the oleo-gum have potential use for standardizing the grading
system of Omani frankincense.
The chemical composition of the Sha’bi and Hojari oils, produced by
steam distillation were similar, with only quantitative differences being observed. Also, the Sha’bi and the Hojari oils possessed similar
broad spectrum antimicrobial activity, with some degree of growth
inhibition being observed against all of the microorganisms tested.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Fusarium solani were the most susceptible organisms, and inhibition of E. coli was observed. The similarity in the antimicrobial activity of the Sha’bi and the Hojari oils
was attributed to their similar chemical composition.
The data from the chemical and antimicrobial activity studies is currently being analysed in detail to identify any correlations between
the chemical composition and the antimicrobial activity of frankincense essential oil and potentially biologically active chemical components.
In the laboratory the investigation is moving on to look at the particle sizes in smoke generated by burning frankincense and also to
designing a protocol to determine the antimicrobial activity of the
smoke. This will later progress to determining the chemical composition of frankincense smoke. Investigation of the smoke emission
will provide an indication of its dissemination potential and possible
inhibitory activity.
It is anticipated that the study will conclude with a range of pilot
studies to identify potential practical applications that could be the
focus of subsequent research studies. These will include the use of
frankincense as an insect repellant, grain fumigant, and inhibitor of
microbial environmental contaminants.
An overwhelming aim of this work is to highlight the benefit of the
frankincense trees and to stimulate conservation measures to maintain any long established genetic variations in the Omani frankincense tree populations and to ensure that all the grades of Omani
frankincense are preserved to enhance the well-being of the current
and future generations.
Mind Over Matter
Literature and Society
By: Karima Ali Al Shukaili
English Department
College of Arts and Social Sciences
the influence it had on the ferocious masses. When Martin Luther King stated his
famous speech in front of “the sweet land
of freedom,” he definitely knew the power
of his speech would bring liberation to the
black Americans. Additionally, “I Too Sing
America ” precisely assured the future of
slavery and black people in America and
after a number of years, Langston Hughes’ dream of singing the American song
of freedom became real and “I Too Sing
America” became the anthem of AfroAmericans. All these are evidence to the
significance of writers and their literary
pieces in librating their nations and moving the nationalistic sense of the masses.
When it comes to discuss the function of literature in society and
the effect that literature, of any culture or language, has on individuals, many people tend to be superficial and consider any sort
of literature as a way of alienating ourselves from reality. Others,
which are the worst, would consider reading literary works as a
waste of time. Personally, I have been through arguments with my
science maniac colleagues several times regarding this issue, and
every time I try to impose the importance of reading and studying
literature on them, they would just roll their eyes to each other
and give me a deaf ear. No wonder that scientific people can’t realize the effect and the importance of literature not only because
they expose themselves most of the time to scientific impassive
facts but also because of the absence of reading expressive, heart
moving fictional works. As a devoted English literature student,
I have the benefit of reading the literature of different parts of the
world. To be frank, every time I read a literary work, I gain a value,
an idea, a principle and the least thing is being aware of others’
point of views of various areas of life. As we grow up, our choice
of literature grows with us that it even determines our state of maturity as Aravind Adiga in “How English Literature Shaped Me”
says “I found a book so dark and mysterious that it seemed to annul everything I have read until then: William Golding’s Lord of
the Flies, which seems to me the first book of my maturity.” From
xenophobic and patriotic pieces of literature to social and romantic
ones, all are representatives of the real life matters and considered
as social documentaries to some extent. Hence, literature does reflect the society and shapes some life aspects of the individuals,
therefore, the society; and to prove this point, this essay will cover
different literary works written in the lingua franca of the world,
English language, and their provocative function in the society.
Starting from the national perspective, literature plays a fundamental
role in raising the sense of nationalism among the masses of colonised
or oppressed nations. Ngugi, a Kenyan hero writer, was imprisoned by
the government after three days of portraying one of his plays in public. Why would a government pull a writer into the jail? The answer is
simply because of the content and the message behind his play and
Culturally, literature functions as a social and cultural document that exhibits the characteristics and features of a certain
community to the world. It also works as medium of transferring cultural norms to other cultures, societies and generations. The Anglo-Saxon literature is a perfect example to be
added here since it gives an ecclesiastical history of the English people as well as the classification of the society as mentioned in their hymns, ballads and lyrics. Another example is
Jean Sasson’s controversial collections of Princes, Daughters
of Arabia and Desert Royal which opened the doors of the
Saudi royal family to the world particularly the American society to witness the cruelty that women of the royal family
suffer in a society predominated by men. Through her books,
the whole world knew about the state of the Saudi woman in
the society, which led to hear some voices of Saudi women
demanding their rights in the country. Isn’t that proof enough
for us that literature plays a key role in society?
Even politically, literature helped in revealing the most shocking and astounding secrets of politicians.
Digital Fortress,
The Da Vinci’s Code and the latest one The Lost Symbol are all
mind-blowing, jaw-dropping stories of an engaging hero who
reveals the secrets and rituals of the biggest and oldest political brotherhood in the world. The Brotherhood of Freemasons
was, for the first time, introduced undoubtedly to the world
through Dan Brown’s writings. People, nowadays, are more
aware of the plans of politicians and decision makers in the
world, thanks to literature.
I totally agree with Ngugi when he says in “Writing for Peace,”
“Literature provides us with images of the world in which we
live. Through these images, it shapes our consciousness to
look at the world in a certain way.” Indeed, literature forms
our actions toward a case or an idea and it makes us look at
the world from a new different perspective.
20 December 2011 P5
News Round Up
Annual Book Fair
Attracts Readers
The annual book fair organized by the Deanship of Student Affairs at SQU
was opened under the patronage of Dr. Taher ba Omar, Academic Affairs
Advisor to the Vice Chancellor. Four popular book suppliers in Muscat
participated in the book fair that featured hundreds of titles covering different areas such as History, Islamic Studies, Science, children’s literature,
etc. Al Dhamri, Al Menara, Al Maaref and Beirut Book Shop are the book
sellers which participated in the book fair this time. Seminars on three
topics namely “Publishing Houses in Oman-Reality and Aspirations”,
“Tourism Education in Oman: Its Concepts, targets and Development”,
“University Student Culture Between the Book & the Internet” were also
held on the sidelines of the book fair. The event was held from December
11 to 21 at the conference hall of the university.
SQU Receives IAEA
Delegation
Symposium on Education
of Visually Impaired
The Disability Group (Ibdah Al Baseera), a subsidiary student group
of the Society of Arts & Social Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University
recently organized a symposium on “Educational Institutions and the
Visually Impaired” under the patronage of Her Highness Sayyida Aliya
bint Thuwaini Al Said. The symposium sessions shed light on the role
of educational institutions in Oman in supporting students with visual
impairment. The event featured presentations by experts from within
and outside Sultan Qaboos University and introduced some of the important technologies for people with visual disabilities.
Dr. Najma al Zidjaly, Assistant Professor in the Department of English
of the College of Arts & Social Sciences at SQU, who is the supervisor
of the student group, said that the seminar was aimed at examining
the status of education of the visually challenged in Oman and to shed
light on the services provided by educational institutions to the visually
impaired. “It also analysed the weaknesses in the current educational
system in catering to the needs of the visually challenged, and shed
light on the experiences of other countries in supporting the visually
impaired students. Dr. Najma added that some of the symposium sessions were earmarked for listening to the real life experiences of the
visually challenged. It also showcased the capabilities of those students.
Seven working papers were presented in the symposium.
The student group for the visually impaired was founded in 2008. Since
its inception, the group has played a significant and effective role in
highlighting the needs of those with disabilities in general and the visually challenged in particular, within and outside the university. Among
the most prominent activities undertaken by this group are training
sessions in the basics of computers, and advanced courses on the Internet and Braille system for the university students with disabilities and
members of the Al Noor Association for the Blind.
HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of Sultan Qaboos University, recently received in his office, Dr. Kwaku Aning, Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation, International
Atomic Energy Agency and accompanying delegation. They discussed
about training, capacity building and infrastructure development in peaceful applications of nuclear energy in Oman to be strengthened by way of
enhanced cooperation between the Technical Cooperation Department of
IAEA and SQU. Dr. Kwaku Aning observed that though Oman is a comparatively new member of IAEA, the country has come a long way in participating in the training programs and technical support offered by the
agency to its member states.
“Nuclear energy is an extremely powerful technology in which safety is an
important element. Proper training of cadres is important in ensuring safe
use of nuclear technology for peaceful applications such as medicine, water
desalination, pest control, ground water management, oil exploration, food
processing and so on”, he said. In this context, Dr. Kwaku Aning called
upon SQU to provide cadres for training in nuclear applications with the
support of IAEA. Dr. Ali al Bimani hoped that with the technical support
from IAEA to SQU and other organizations and departments at national
level, Oman would be able to take care of its peaceful nuclear energy requirements on its own in future.
20 December 2011 P6
Camelid Conference
to be Held at SQU
The Animal & Veterinary Sciences Department in the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University is gearing up to host
the third Conference of the International Society of Camelid Research and
Development (ISOCARD), which will be held from 29th January to 1st
February 2012. The main aim of ISOCARD 2012 is disseminating the latest research, innovations and visions within the field of camelid science.
The event is also envisaged to enhance the co-operation and exchange of
information between academic researchers and industry researchers in
the field of camelid science and technology. The meeting will foucs on the
latest findings in specific areas, critical reviews of work in relevant fields
as well as updating attendees on current issues to be addressed.
Dr. Isam T. Kadim, chairman of the conference organizing committee
said that “Challenges facing Camelids in a changing world and climate”
is the main theme of this Conference. “The conference will cover camelid
health and disease, camelid products (meat, milk, fiber and work), farm
management and development, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry, nutrition and behavior, reproduction, anatomy, surgery, genetics and
camelid racing”.
Straight Talk
Horizon: How would you underline the importance of strategic information/knowledge systems? Prof. Hackney: There is evidence that the complexity and dynamics
of modern organisations is increasing due to competitive and legal demands.
The processes which ensure appropriate managerial decision making are now
enabled through electronic information and communication technologies.
The opportunities have therefore been recognised that these systems may be
adopted and deployed to support the ‘strategic’ objectives of organisations
through attention to locking in customers/suppliers and locking out competitors. There are many well known examples of these successes where historically, for example, American Airlines increased its market share from 30% to over
70% within two years through an online reservation system. More recently, a
number of innovative organisations have exploited, in particular, the internet
for similar innovative system applications, Google, Apple, etc. The emergence
of ‘knowledge’ management in this respect is to consider not simply the information which may be manipulated but how this may translate into affirmative
action for again better managerial decision making. Recent research, for example, has demonstrated the importance of knowledge transfer in outsourcing arrangements which has been especially useful to the petro-chemical industry in Oman.
Horizon:
Could you explain your practical and academic experience in
e-Business/e-Government Systems?
Prof. Hackney: In recent year I worked in UK Local Government and
conducted research into the management of the IT function. At that time
legislation was enacted which required all Local Authorities to engage in the
competitive tendering of services. This involved offering facilities to private
providers and the subsequent issues of management through a central ‘electronic’ department. This experience was further extended through a number
of consultancy and research projects which related to how these electronic
systems could again be exploited to ensure competitive advantage and/or
service delivery performance.
Horizon: Organisational change & transformation is one of your research
interests. Could you please elaborate on the importance of this area as one
where there is enough scope for analysis and study?
Prof. Hackney:
It is argued that the implementation of any system
is an example of organisational change. There are quite a number of interrelated factors which have to be considered in what is regarded as perhaps
the most complex process which managers undertake. The evidence, again,
is that most change management initiatives do not produce significant benefits to users and invariably result in delayed project implementation and over
budget costs. The literature in this area is vast and growing and the scope appears to be enormous in terms of addressing ways to achieve success. The objective is clearly to enable an appropriate ‘transformation’ of an organisational
unit from one state to another with the minimum of user disruption and the
maximum satisfaction.
Horizon: You are having sound experience in editing reputed information systems research journals. What makes publishing in IS journal different
from journals dealing with other science or humanities subjects?
Prof. Hackney: There is no difference between publishing in any high
level academic journal other than the subject matter. There is always a requirement to achieve a significant intellectual contribution and to demonstrate respected and peer accepted scholarly activity (most have a 97% rejection rate).
The added complexity of IS of course is that it transcends many other reference disciplines with colleagues working in the areas of sociology, psychology, etc. Indeed, one of the most prevalent theories to emerge in recent years
has been so called ‘social-technical systems’ which attempts to capture natural
science and humanitarian issues in IS adoption.
Horizon: How would you evaluate the workshops that you led in connection with iiSC 2010 at SQU?
Prof. Hackney: The conference was one of the most impressive I have
experienced with excellent facilities and attention to schedule detail and operational management. My stay in Oman and visit to SQU was extremely productive and enjoyable. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate
the organisers.
Prof. Ray Hackney
Professor Ray Hackney is Chair in Business
Systems within the Business School at Brunel
University, UK. He has contributed extensively
to research in the field with publications in numerous national and international conferences
and journals. He has taught and examined on
a number of Doctoral and MBA programmes
including Manchester Business School and
the Open University. He is currently Associate
Editor of the JGIM, JEUC, JLIM, ACITM, EJIS and
case editor for IJIM. His research interests are
the strategic management of information systems within a variety of organisational context,
with an increasing speciality in government
sectors. Horizon spoke to him during his visit
to SQU to attend the International Information
Systems Conference (iiSC 2011).