Calligraphy Workshop Brings Words to Life
Panorama
Education - Employment Mismatch
Mind Over Matter
Al Bimani Receives IAEA Delegation
News Update
Is M-Learning the
Future of Learning?
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 225
View Point
A Moment of Pride
It is with great pride that Sultan Qaboos University is celebrating its silver
jubilee during the academic year 2011-12. The university, the realisation of the
promise given by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said during the 10th anniversary of Oman’s National Day in 1980, enrolled its first batch of 557 undergraduate students in the academic year 1986-1987. The number of registered
students have been growing in a phased manner for the last two and a half
decades. In the academic year 2009-2010, the total number of students stands
at 15357. For the year 2011-2012, SQU received 3133 undergraduate students.
Humaid Abdullah Al Adwani
Editorial Supervision & Editor in Chief
M.K. Santhosh
Senior Editor
Younis Al Harrasi
Editor & Translator
Anisa Al Jabri
Design & Layout
Rashad Al Wahaibi
& Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Though SQU had a very modest beginning, its progress during the last two
decades was exponential, thanks to the great vision and generous support
of His Majesty since the inception of this edifice of learning, and the great
administrative capabilities of its top administrators, academics, technical and
administrative staff. The role of the past and contemporary students who
have been enthusiastic and endowed with the real quest for knowledge can
never be underestimated in this regard.
Education, research, internationalization and community service are the four
pillars on which the university is progressing. The university started with five
colleges and later on four colleges were added to the university which now
offers diploma, bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in a number of disciplines. The number of students admitted to the doctoral degree programs
increased by 500% in 2009-2010 as compared to the previous year!
The healthy transition of SQU from a teaching university to a research university was occurred within a comparatively shorter time span since its inception
However, it was smoothly managed. Over the past decade, SQU has made
significant progress in becoming a major research institution in the region.
This has been achieved through strategic initiatives that include developing
relevant organization structure, allocating financial support, establishing research centres and chairs, and introduction doctoral programs. Established in
2001, His Majesty’s Trust Fund has played a significant role in supporting the
research activities.
SQU has indeed become a house of expertise and a hub for the dissemination
of knowledge, providing effective advice and producing quality manpower.
The research activities of the university have resulted in many positive contributions to the development of the national and have greatly benefitted the
society.
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
30 October 2011 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
News Update
HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU, recently received in
his office, a high level delegation from International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA) headed by Jong Kyun Park, Director of its Nuclear Power Division.
Both sides discussed the ways through which collaboration in terms of
training and capacity building in nuclear power technology between IAEA
and SQU could be strengthened.
Al Bimani Receives IAEA
Delegation
SQU evinced interest in furthering collaboration with the Nuclear Power
Division of the Agency in training its academicians and students. Currently,
the College of Science at SQU is offering a masters programme in Nuclear
Physics through its Department of Physics. The College of Engineering is
all set to offer a course in nuclear engineering through one its departments.
The experts from IAEA suggested the university to start offering program
in radiation and radiation detection in the beginning before going for comprehensive programs in nuclear energy and engineering.
The IAEA experts said that nuclear energy is a promising field as there is
shortage of nuclear engineers and technologists across the world. They offered all support to SQU in capacity building and training which could be
activated through the Technical Cooperation Department of the Agency.
Dr. Ali al Harthy, Dean of the College of Engineering, Dr. Ahmed al Rawas,
Associate Professor in Physics, College of Science, and other senior academicians from the College of Engineering were also present on the occasion.
SQU Explores Ties with
Iranian Universities
Prof. Ahmad Akbari, Deputy Minister and President of Iranian Research Organization for Science & Technology, and his delegation
who are members of the joint scientific committee between Iran
and the Sultanate, visited SQU recently. The Iranian delegation
was received by HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor of SQU and other senior officials. Both sides discussed aspects of cooperation between Iranian Research Organisation for
Science & Technology and SQU in terms of collaborative research
and exchange of students and academics. The two sides stressed
on collaboration in research in genetics, engineering and applied
sciences and agriculture.
The two sides discussed a number of vital issues with regard to
cooperation between Iranian universities and SQU in the fields of
agriculture, engineering, science. They also discussed the possibilities of establishing a chair for Persian Studies at SQU and a
chair for Arabic studies at the University of Iran. The two sides
exchanged ideas on holding joint activities such as workshops,
courses, and collaborative research between Iranian higher educational institutions and SQU. The idea of exchange of academics
to teach Persian and Arabic was also discussed. The Iranian team
elaborated on the progress that their country has achieved in terms
of research in genetic engineering and technology and expressed
readiness to share their knowledge in these areas.
SQU Delegation Visits
Russia, Belarus
Within the framework of fostering ties with international higher educational and research institutions, a delegation from Sultan Qaboos
University, led by HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor,
visited Russia and Belarus. The delegation consisted of Dr. Yahya al
Farsi, Acting Dean of the College of Medicine & Health Sciences, Dr.
Ahmed al Rawas, a faculty member from the College of Science, Shahid al Bulushi, Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies & Research
of the College of Commerce & Economics, and Zaher al Zakwani,
Director, Office of International Relations.
During their visit, the SQU delegation held talks with top officials
and academics from Moscow State University, People’s Friendship
University of Russia, St. Petersburg State Technical University, St. Petersburg Medical Academy, Belarusian State University, Belarusian
State Medical University, and Belarusian State Technological University.
Currently SQU has tie ups with several universities in Russia and
Belarus. SQU has earlier hosted Prof. Mikhail S. Meyer, from the Institute of Asian and African Studies at Moscow University. It has also
received a doctoral student from the university of St. Petersburg under student exchange program. A memorandum of understanding
has been signed between SQU and Belarus State University 2009 for
research collaboration and exchange of students and academics.
30 October 2011 P3
Insight
Is M-Learning the Future
of Learning?
By: Dr. Zuhoor Abdullah Salim Al-Khanjari
Associate Professor- Software Engineering
HoD, Department of Computer Science,
College of Science
“Mobile learning”, has different meanings for different communities.
Although it is related to e-learning and distance education, it is distinct in its focus on learning across contexts and learning with mobile
devices. One definition of mobile learning is: Any sort of learning that
happens when the learner is not at a fixed, predetermined location, or
learning that happens when the learner takes advantage of the learning
opportunities offered by mobile technologies. At present Sultan Qaboos
University (SQU) is using Moodle as the e-Learning Management System to support and enhance the traditional learning.
Although e-Learning in SQU has proven its importance in enhancing
the traditional learning, e-Learning is limited to the areas and locations
where a personal computer exists. This limitation was a burden on a lot
of e-Learning users being teachers or students, mainly if they live in rural areas of the country. To solve this limitation, Dr. Zuhoor Al-Khanjari
and the students Aiysha Al-Zedi and Khulood Al-Kindi carried out a
study that puts forward a proposal to use mobile learning (m-Learning)
to support the existing e-Learning environment.
This new learning technology solves some of the traditional learning
limitations as location because of the mobility of general portable devices. The age of M-learning has been already started as many learning
facilities are provided via mobile devices. Mobile devices are becoming
the daily culture of almost every student and teacher. It involves the
users to connect to a server which retrieves database information that
is stored by the teachers. This is to facilitate the usage of the distance
education and increase the motivation of the students and teachers to
use the new technology. The intension of introducing M-learning in
SQU is to support and compliment E-learning in order to improve the
traditional learning. In this case both e-Learning and m-Learning can
be available for use as each of them gives certain advantages to the students and teachers.
M-Learning, the application of mobile phones for learning, is a natural
extension of E-learning. In a span of four to five years, Mobile learning
or M-Learning has made an exponential leap from theory explored by
academicians to a real contribution to learning. The kind of penetration
that mobile phones have reached is astounding and no other device can
come any closer, not even computers. No demography is immune from
the mobile phone and it has slowly become associated with the youth
in a bigger way.
This kind of digital communication was unthinkable almost a decade
back. M-learning has the potential of taking learning and knowledge
across geographical boundaries and generations due to the fact that it
30 October 2011 P4
can be accessed with ease. This brings us to the question what is Mlearning and how effective it really is. In the basic sense of the term,
it means learning through the use of mobile devices and is targeted at
people who are always on the move.
The advantages of mobile phones as compared to a personal computer
are many. A mobile phone is portable. It is easier to carry along with
you everywhere including the restroom. This makes information access
through this platform easy and fast. Mobile phones facilitates social
interaction in a much better way than computers. You can send data
to your friends, colleagues and others via short messages. You can exchange data with other people and gain considerable knowledge. Connectivity plays an extremely important role and is the backbone of the
M-learning project. With the help of a strong connectivity network, one
can connect to data collection devices, other mobile phones, and to a
common network. Most mobile devices have been proven useful in
education by being a facilitator of administration, and teaching aids for
practitioners, and also for being able to utilize it as a learning support
tool for learners.
What are the benefits of M-learning? It offers and interactive learning
experience where learners can interact with each other. It is easier to accommodate several mobile devices in a classroom than several desktop
computers. It is not always easy to work on a computer sitting in a far off
village or town in wilderness, but mobile can be accessed anywhere.
Mobile phones are lighter and can facilitate the entire m-learning process with ease unlike bags full of files, paper and textbooks, or even laptops. Writing with the stylus pen is more effective than using keyboard
and mouse. Mobile devices can be used anywhere, and anytime, including at offices, home, or when in transit. This technology may contribute
to combating the digital divide, as mobile devices are generally cheaper
than desktop computers. The size, shape, weight and portability of mobile devices have made them extremely effective for users with permanent or temporary disabilities.
In spite of certain disadvantages such as limited storage capacity, smaller screens than computers, frequent discharge of battery, etc., mobile
learning is currently the most useful as a supplement to ICT, online
learning and other traditional learning methods, and is playing a central
role in enriching the learning experience. It is now widely believed and
has been proven in various countries that mobile learning could and
has been a huge factor in getting disaffected young adults to engage in
learning, where traditional methods have failed.
Mind Over Matter
Education - Employment Mismatch
The role of Career Development....
Systems theory framework (STF) of career development and counselling provides a map for understanding the origins of career counselling. Career counselling is a unique discipline built on a foundation of
career theory and counselling theory.
Incorporating the STF to a graduate, the individual
system represents the graduate’s innate personal
traits. The broader environmental or social system is
compared to the employability standards offered by
their collegiate education. The influence of personal
traits and employability standards in the career development of graduates within the time zones of the past,
present and future is illustrated.
Employability standards
Cognitive Skills: refers to the ability to identify and
solve problems; work with information and handle
a mass of diverse data; assess risk and draw conclusions.
By: P. Samson
(College of Medicine
& Health Sciences)
& Chandrani Isac
(Lecturer, College of
Nursing)
Do Graduates realize their dream in Employment?
The dream of every graduate is to be employed by an organization which provides quantitative and qualitative welfare. Many graduates realize the worth of their academic alumni only
on entry to their work environment. Some, on the other hand, wake up to find that there are
gaps between what they have learnt and what they are expected to perform. A large number
of graduates land up in varied work arenas and retrospectively gape at the missing link between their collegiate education and work expectations. Literature review highlights these
dispositions as difficulty in practicing effective communication (written, oral), inability to
work in teams, problems in applying theory to real-world situations and lack of understanding the requirements of the employers.
Harvard Business School Professor, John P. Kotter addresses the novice graduates as finished
products (business organizations mould the raw material (the students) by adding values and
converting them into finished products) and the recruiters as customers seeking to buy the
finished products. He goes on to say that, these finished products have to compete with a host
of ‘me-too products’ to delight the customers, i.e. the recruiters. “Here raises the question of
deferential hallmarks” comments Professor Kotter. J. P and quotes that the value addition of
students takes place by way of enhancing their professional knowledge, experience and honing their skills, such as, analytical skill, presentation skill, communication skill and managerial skill, leadership qualities etc, and finally developing their overall personality.
Employability is not only the concern of the graduate population. It is well highlighted as the
growing challenges felt by both students and academics in light of the widespread changes
in higher education and labour market. The transition from university to work involves an
active process for students.
The findings of a study which aimed at enhancing employability, by integrating real world
experience in the curriculum pointed that students were most motivated in the subject matter
where they could engage in activity or situations which they were likely to encounter in the
real world or business. This further influenced their reflective thinking and confidence levels.
The underlying assumption is that a student’s lifelong learning capability and employability
can be enhanced through their higher education experience and that this can be achieved as
part and parcel of academic study. Further more, while universities have accepted their new
vocational role, there is considerable confusion over how these things (graduate skills, attributes or capabilities) should be defined and implemented.
Generic Competences: implies high-level and transferable skills such as the ability to work with others in a
team, communicate, influence and have interpersonal
sensitivity.
Personal Capabilities: is the ability and desire to learn
for oneself and improve self-awareness, emotional intelligence and performance. To be a self-starter (creativity, decisiveness, initiative) and to finish the job
(flexibility, adaptability, tolerance to stress).
Technical Ability: refers to the knowledge and experience of working with relevant modern technology
Organisational Awareness: an appreciation of how
businesses operates. Appreciation of organisational
culture, policies and processes. Practical and Professional Elements: Critical evaluation of the outcomes of
professional practice; reflection on and review of own
practice; participating in and reviewing quality control processes and risk management.
Career development is shown as strings woven
through the individual’s personal traits, expected
employability standards and the time zone. This implicates that career development during collegiate
education has to extract the innate personal traits of
an individual (by means of psychometric analysis and
self-introspection), tailor the employability traits to
their individualized aptitude and implement a schedule which purports the entity to apply their learned
behaviours to past, present and future life scenarios.
The above highlighted triad necessitates the active,
alert and assertive partaking of the mentor and protégée.
The Connectivity to bridge the Mismatch
The mentor is the key person to translate the employer’s expectation to the theoretical frameworks experienced by the students aspiring to seek employment.
Every student is to be fine tuned in the direction of
their aptitude. Active teaching strategies exposing
students to real work environment requires urgent
implementation. Self appraisal coupled with a clear
motive enhances the graduate’s chances for placement
in a suitable work environment. Ultimately.....the employer should sacrifice some time in patiently inducting new comers before expecting holistic performance
standards.
30 October 2011 P5
News Round Up
SQU Gearing up for
its First Nursing
Conference
As a part of the Silver Jubilee celebration of Sultan
Qaboos University (SQU), the College of Nursing
at the university is organizing its First International Nursing Conference in collaboration with Sultan
Qaboos University Hospital, Ministry of Health and
Armed Forces Hospital, on 28th and 29th November
2011. Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al Hussain
from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, President of
the Jordan Nursing Council (JNC) and WHO Patron
for Nursing and Midwifery in the Eastern Mediterranean Region will be the guest of honor in this event.
The conference titled ‘Innovations is Nursing Education & Practice leading to Quality Care’ will introspect and revolve around the themes: Innovations
in Nursing Profession, Nursing Education, Nursing
Practice, Nursing Management, Information Technology in Nursing, Ethics and Professionalism, Quality Care and Nursing Research and Evidence Based
Practice.
Prof. Bazdawi Al Riyami Dean, College of Nursing,
has showcased the uniqueness of this upcoming
conference by stating that ‘ this conference offers a
unique opportunity to exchange ideas not only on
how to harness quality care but also on how to bridge
the gap which exists between practice and education in nursing’. Dr. Raghda Shukri, the Conference
Chairperson has expressed her view that ‘this conference will provide opportunities to broaden horizons,
exchange ideas and discuss issues of mutual concern
related to provision of quality care through nursing
education and practice’. Her persevering efforts is
the steering force to make this conference highly successful.
Being the first international event hosted by the College of Nursing, the organizers are putting all efforts
to make this conference a highly significant one in
the Sultanate. The opening ceremony and the main
venue for the conference will be at the Cultural Center which can accommodate above 5000 participants.
Besides, other SQU conference halls, lecture theatres
will be used for pre-conference workshops and for
the concurrent sessions.
The organizers have received around 150 abstracts
for the oral and poster presentations. An exhibition
displaying exhibits related to health field, education,
commercial and Omani culture is an added attraction
to the conference. In addition, trips will be organized
to discover the unique features of Oman. The organizers expect nurse educators, administrators, clinical
nurses, nursing students and other health team members from all over the world to take part in the conference. Our target is to receive maximum number
of nurses from Sultanate of Oman and from all over
the world.
30 October 2011 P6
Student Groups Present
Engineering Contest
The Chemical Engineering Society and the Mechanical Engineering Society at the
College of Engineering recently organized “Engineering Challenge”, a competition among students which was attended by engineering students from the college
and from educational institutions outside the university. The event was held with a
view to brush up the talents of engineering students and to encourage the spirit of
competition, and teamwork among them. The competition was aimed at creating
an integrated engineering team that is characterized by the spirit of teamwork and
integrated thinking in the discipline of engineering.
Eight teams participated in the competition which included teams from the departments of Petroleum & Chemical Engineering, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering,
Civil & Architectural Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering in addition to
teams from the University of Nizwa, Sohar University, Caledonian College of Engineering and Higher College of Technology.
The competition was held in three stages which included IQ tests, logic and reasoning, mathematics, science and engineering culture and ethics. Each phase of the
competition was characterized by knowledge and excitement. The competing teams
contested to win the title of the King of the Challenge. After the preliminary round,
four teams, Sohar University, Caledonian College, Petroleum & Chemical Engineering Society and the Civil & Architectural Engineering Society, qualified for the second round. In the final round, which was characterized by tough fight, the Petroleum
& Chemical Engineering Society emerged as champions.
College of
Arts
Comes up
with
Lecture
Series
Dr.Abdullah Al Kindy
Dr.Najma Al Zadjaliyah
The cultural season “series of lectures” kicked off last week at the College of Arts
and Social Sciences. The lectures are aimed at setting up a scientific tradition based
on encouraging research and familiarizing the faculty and students with the latest
sciences of interest to the college, as well as reviewing the outcome of the new studies and researches through a positive academic dialogue to support the academic
and research processes in the college.
The lectures will be delivered under the supervision of Dr. Mohammed bin Ali alBulushi, Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Research and Dr. Najma bint
Ja’afar al-Zadjaliyah, Assistant Professor in the English Department. Regarding the
speakers, the priority will be given to the academicians from of the College of Art
and Social Sciences, in addition to speakers from outside SQU and the Sultanate.
Lecture schedule for this semester includes a group of important topics of delivered by Dr. Yasin al-Shar’abi from Geography Department, Dr. Ali Tigani al-Mahy
from Archaeology Department, Dr. Hilal bin Said al-Hajri from the Arabic Language
Department, and Dr. Khalid al-Bulushi and Dr. Mohammed al-Sarairah from Mass
Communication Department. During this semester, lectures of the departments of
the College of Arts and Social Sciences will be delivered. The plan is to hold 6 to 8
lectures in each semester.
Panorama
Calligraphy Workshop Brings Words to Life
Yabe Chosho, famous Japanese calligrapher led a calligraphy workshop at SQU for its Art Education students.
The workshop was facilitated by the Art Education Department of the College of Education and supported by
the Embassy of Japan in Muscat. During her presentation, Yabe said that Japanese calligraphy attempts to bring
words to life, and endow them with character.
Calligraphy is an art form that has been studied for over
three thousand years. A knowledge of calligraphy is an
important step in the understanding of Japanese culture.
Calligraphy is not merely an exercise in good handwriting, but rather the foremost art form of the Orient. It is
the combination of the skill and imagination of the person who has studied intensely the combinations available
using only lines. Calligraphy (in Japanese, ‘shodo’ which
means “the way of writing”) is the art of writing beautifully. In Japan, most children learn calligraphy in elementary
school. It is a popular hobby among adults, too. Styles
are highly individualistic, differing from person to person.
Japanese calligraphy presents a problem for people trying to understand it; the work is completed in a matter
of seconds so the uninitiated cannot really appreciate the
degree of difficulty involved. In Japanese calligraphy, the
characters must be written only once. There is no altering,
touching up, or adding to them afterwards.
Yabe started calligraphy at the age of six and acquired
masters’ degree after 16 years of her career. Yabe has practiced calligraphy for almost three decades, exhibiting and
conducting workshops worldwide, and has won awards
in exhibitions for her work. She is the founder and president of the Masumi Shodo (calligraphy) School and a
member of the Japan Design Calligrapher’s Association.
Along with achieving several awards and recognition in
exhibition and contests, Yabe entered the field of professional calligraphy in 2006. She has exhibited her works
at private exhibitions and workshops in different parts of
the world. Her expertise includes supervising calligraphy
works for films, inscriptions and logo designs. Yabe also
promotes fusion with other artists from various genres
and these works are widely broadcast in media.
Dressed in traditional Japanese attire, Yabe showed the Art
Education students, the techniques of Japanese calligraphy. They were also given an opportunity to try out what
they learnt. “I hope students who will lead the next generation will become a bridge between Oman and Japan after
this experience. I sincerely hope this will be a good opportunity, however small it may be, to bring friendship and
development to the two nations,” Yabe said. “The students
have been brilliant. I made them practice Hiragana (Japanese syllabary, a basic component of the Japanese writing
system) and they focused on the samples and wrote very
well,” Yabe said. “I hope to come back to Oman in the future and introduce Japanese calligraphy to more and more
people. It would be good to see some of them come to like
Japan and visit Japan themselves”, she added.
During her demonstration at SQU, Yabe explained that a
calligraphy set consists of Shitajiki (black, soft mat. It provides a comfortable, soft surface), Bunchin (metal stick to
weight down the paper during writing), Hanshi (special,
thin calligraphy paper), Suzuri (heavy black container for
the ink), Sumi (solid black material that must be rubbed
in water in the suzuri to produce the black ink which is
then used for writing), and Fude (brush). There is a larger
brush for writing the main characters and a smaller one
for writing the artist’s name. The small brush, however,
can be used for the characters, too. Unlike the strokes of
Roman letters, the strokes of Japanese characters have to
be drawn in the correct order, not arbitrarily.
Shodo is one of the most popular fine arts of Japan. Calligraphy works are appreciated not less than products of
painting. But this kind of the fine arts possesses also philosophical sense. In the simplest understanding the calligraphy is an art to write beautifully. The master creates a
work of art by bamboo brush and inks on the rice paper. It
transfers harmony and beauty.
There is nothing casual in Japanese calligraphy. The beginning, the direction, the form and the ending of lines, the
balance between elements are important for each line and
point, and even the empty space signifies many things.
30 October 2011 P7
Straight Talk
Habib Ahmad Khan
Habib Ahmad Khan is the Director General of the National Archives of Pakistan. He visited SQU recently to explore the chances
of collaboration between Oman and Pakistan in the area of archiving and documentation of historical records. In his conversation with Horizon, Habin Khan emphasised the growing importance of archiving and the profession of archivists.
Horizon:
Could you please introduce your organization, National Archives of
Pakistan?
Habib Khan: The National Archives of Pakistan is the reservoir of the non-current
records of the Government of Pakistan. The records are gathered from numerous sources,
including various editions of the Pakistan Year Book and Economic Survey of Pakistan.
The National Archives Building comprising 1, 50,000 square feet covered area is located
in administrative block area of Islamabad. My organization is responsible not only for
the safe custody of records but also for providing the desired references to the scholars in
the form of soft and hard copies. For researchers and visitors, we provide a reading room
where photocopies of prominent records are kept for free reference. In the microfilm reference room, we have arranged microfilm readers and printers. In the photographic section,
photographic albums are available for reference and placing orders for copies.
Horizon:
How would you underline the importance of archiving and documenta-
tion?
Habib Khan:
Archivists are responsible for the identification, selection, protection,
organization, description, and preservation of archival records and papers, for their accessibility by any user. By ensuring that archival documents are identified, preserved, and
made available in a systematic fashion, archivists help to secure society’s cultural heritage, protect legal rights and privileges, support reusability of research data and results,
and contribute to the effective management of a wide range of institutions. Without careful selection of records, society’s individual, commercial, cultural, and social heritages
will be lost. Without the preservation of legal documents, individual and institutional
rights cannot be preserved and protected. Finally, without the proper management of administrative records, governments and organizations cannot be held accountable. Records
held in archives are, thus, essential in every educated society.
Horizon: How would you view the career of an archivist?
Habib Khan: Archives hold a unique position in an institution
of any modern state
by acting as a repository of records, both, past and present. Archives include a whole
range of material like old hand-written manuscripts, letters, papers, books, maps, plans
photographs, diaries, clippings, legal documents, drawings, photocopied and microfilmed
material, video and sound recordings and computer discs. As archives contain a vast
storehouse of knowledge, they significantly contribute to a better understanding of our
past. The valuable history of a nation is embedded in thousands of manuscripts, records,
inscriptions, documents, etc., most of which have yet to be scientifically preserved and restored. The primary task of an archivist is to establish and maintain control, both physical
and intellectual, over records of enduring value. As archives play vital and essential role
in the well being of a modern nation state, it offers a career that is both professionally and
financially rewarding. Though archival studies have so far been a rather neglected field in
many societies, there is an increasing potential for employment growth in this area.
Horizon:
Digitalized archiving is gathering momentum in the modern era. How would
you evaluate this change from paper or material based archiving to digital archiving?
Habib Khan: The rapid growth in the creation and dissemination of digital objects
by authors, publishers, corporations, governments, has emphasized the speed and ease
of short-term dissemination with little regard for the long-term preservation of digital
information. The present scenario is that records come in all formats and on a multitude
of media. Archivists and manuscript curators have centuries of expertise in managing and
preserving paper-based records. The management and long-term preservation of digital
objects, however, presents new and complex challenges for archivists. It is essential that
archival education programs educate their graduates to preserve today’s cultural, governmental, scientific, and personal documentary heritage, be it paper-based or digital.
Horizon: What is the purpose of your visit to Oman and Sultan Qaboos University?
Habib Khan: My visit is aimed at exploring the possibilities of collaboration between
National Archives of Pakistan and National Documents and Archives Authority of Oman.
Collaboration with Sultan Qaboos University is also very important for us because I understand that the university has a strong archival system in its College of Arts & Social Sciences and the Omani Studies Centre. We are keen on archive collaboration with Oman because Pakistan and Oman have long historical relations. As an archivist I am particularly
interested in Oman-Pakistan bilateral manuscripts, particularly those about Baluchistan.
I am impressed with the performance of the Archives Authority of Oman, which was established in 2007. The progress this organization has made within a short period is really
commendable especially when you compare it with accomplishments of many archival
organisations in other parts of the world which were established long ago.