Award for College of Education Academician
Panorama
SQU Plant Researchers Isolate 45 New Fungal Species
Mind Over Matter
SQU Receives Golden Web Team
News Update
Biological Conservation
Offers Hope
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 217
View Point
An Example Worth Following
The Students’ Research Conference, recently organised by the College of
Agricultural & Marine Sciences at SQU, was a platform for undergraduate
students to present their papers and posters. The event testifies that the college
strives to enhance undergraduate students’ research skills, and providing
avenues to present their findings is one step forward towards that goal.
Khamis Rajab Al Busaidi
Editorial Supervision
Humaid Al Adwani
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
Research is a valuable part of undergraduate education. Even at a rudimentary
level, engaging in research implicates students in the creation of knowledge.
They need to understand that knowledge isn’t an inert substance they
passively receive, but is continually created, debated, and reformulated—and
they have a role to play in that process. Allowing students to participate in
undergraduate research engages their intellectual curiosity, satisfies their thirst
for discovery, and gives them an outlet for their creativity. A lot of learning
occurs when undergraduate students do research – learning that does not
happen during traditional coursework. Classroom knowledge is reinforced
and more completely assimilated when students are given the opportunity to
apply that knowledge.
Research invariably leads to a better understanding of and a deeper
appreciation for the discipline under investigation. Students’ career goals are
usually clarified after they participate in research. How do you know you will
enjoy being a biologist, for example, without getting a chance to do some of
the thinking, researching and writing that a biologist does? Research is also a
significant confidence booster. The more students are mentally stretched, the
greater their sense of accomplishment upon completion of the project. This
is especially true when a caring faculty member guides and encourages the
students. Establishing a relationship with a faculty mentor is another big
advantage of undergraduate participation in research. Students benefit from
the wisdom, knowledge and experience of a mentor, while faculty members
benefit from the questions students ask, the discoveries they make and the
energy they bring to the project.
We hope that more colleges at the university will emulate the example set
by CAMS in promoting undergraduate students’ research and creativity
endeavours.
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 May 2011 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
SQU Receives
“Golden Web” Team
Ahmed Paul Keeler, Founding Director and Ayman Haleem,
Assistant Director of the Golden Web project visited Sultan
Qaboos University recently. They were received by HE Dr. Ali
bin Saud al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor, and other officials . The
Golden Web is conceived as a unique collaborative web based
learning environment to reconnect with the past of different
civilisations and discover their shared heritage. The Golden
Web Foundation is leading the development of a new world
of discovery, formed around a proprietary model that has
been created to connect the knowledge of the shared heritage
of different civilisations, that is currently scattered across
the world. The Golden Web is in the final year of a four-year
development programme. In 2012 it begins a phased three-year
rollout to a global audience.
The visiting officials gave a presentation on their project,
how they were influenced by Islamic values in evolving and
promoting their initiative, and how the project will be unfolded
during the next three years. The team also elaborated on the
role that Oman could within the framework of the project. They
said that Oman is one of the nations that retains its rich cultural
heritage while accepting all the positive aspects of modernity.
Paul Keeler lauded the seafaring, mercantile, and handicrafts
traditions of Oman and its strategic importance in facilitating
trade and cultural relations in the past. During his discussion
with the Golden Web team, Dr. Ali al Bimani promised all
support to the project by utilising the research and human
resources potential of the university .
News Update
Students Come up with
New E-magazine
The launching ceremony of Tawasul e-magazine, brought out by the
Centre for Career Guidance in association with the students of Mass
Communication Department at SQU, was held under the patronage
of HE Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, the, Vice Chancellor. Tawasul, the
first graduate oriented magazine is the graduation project of three
students, Shamsah al Riyami, Roqiayah al Abri and Amal al Kindi,
from the Department of Mass Communication at the College of Arts
& Social Sciences.
Tawasul is aimed at promoting communication among the university
and the graduates. This e-magazine will keep the students abreast
of SQU’s latest news and present summaries of latest researches,
studies and will link the university with the local community. The
magazine comprises sections including news, graduates’’ issues
and other sections. The URL of the magazine is www.tawasul-squ.
com
SQU Receives Kuwaiti Delegation
SQU Explores Ties with
Russian Universities
Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, SQU Vice Chancellor, recently received
in his office, a delegation from Kuwait University consisting of Dr.
Adil Hussain Malallah, Assistant Vice President for Planning, and
Dr. Fahima al Awadhi, Faculty in the Department of Statistics and
Operations Research of the College of Sciences.
HH Sayyida Dr. Mona bint Fahd al Said, SQU Assistant Vice Chancellor
for External Cooperation, recently received an academic delegation from
Russia. The visiting team consisted of Allaham Yaser, Rector’s Advisor
for International Affairs, Ruslan V. Lesovik, Pro Rector for International
Relations from Belgorod Shukhov State Technical University, and
Vladimir V. Rodinov, Director of the Institute of International Education,
Voronezh State University, Russia. They discussed the possibilities
of establishing academic and research ties between the universities.
The visiting delegation evinced interest in launching ties through
collaborative research in environmental engineering and related
disciplines.
The visiting team gave a presentation on a study done by Kuwait
University on its output in compliance with the Kuwaiti Job Market
requirements. The study was prepared by the Planning Department.
The study highlighted the determination of the level of harmonization
of Kuwait University’s output with the needs of community institutions
on both public and private sectors.
Dr. Adil Hussain explained how Sultan Qaboos University can benefit
from the findings of Kuwait University’s study as the SQU is keen on
aligning its academic programs with the future and current job market
requirements in the Sultanate and the region.
20 May 2011 P3
Insight
By: Dr. Salim Hamood Al-Rawahy
Department of Biology
College of Science
Biological Conservation
Offers Hope
Oman has a diverse array of terrestrial and marine species. Plant species
numbers of 1208 have been identified so far, with approximately 100
endemic to Oman. A good number of fauna is found at localized areas,
depending on the geographic and climatic characteristics of the land and
the biodiversity it is able to sustain. Approximately 490 species of birds have
been identified, some of which are residents while others are migratory
birds. There are also about 20 species of whales and dolphins, 5 species of
marine turtles and more than 75 species of coral reefs have been recorded.
Additionally, there are approximately 80 species of reptiles and thousands
species of invertebrates.
Biological conservation refers to maintenance of species, habitat, communities
and ecosystems. Species conservation such as White Oryx conservation is
one in Jedat Al Harasis. Conservation program at Dhofar Mountains is an
example of habitat conservation as in. Species may only be maintained if
their habitats are conserved or deliberately recreated through conservation
management. Biodiversity is the genetic, species, and ecological diversity of
the organisms in a given area. Life on earth occurs in a marvellous spectrum
of sizes, colours, shapes, life cycles, and interrelationships. We benefit from
other organisms in many ways, some of which we don’t appreciate until a
particular species or community disappears.
Conservation and Economic Development
Many of the most seriously threatened species and ecosystems of the
world are in developing countries, especially in the tropics. This situation
concerns scientists because these countries are the guardians of biological
resources that may be vital to all of us. Immediate human survival always
takes precedence over long-term environmental goals. It is now widely
recognized that the struggle to save species and unique ecosystems cannot
be divorced form the broader struggle to meet the basic needs of people
who live in biodiversity regions.
People in some of the affected countries are beginning to realize that the
biological richness of the environment may be their most valuable resources
and that its preservation is vital for sustainable development. Ecotourism
can be more beneficial to many of these countries over long term than
extractive industries such as logging and mining. In many cases, sustainable
production of food, medicine and water in rural areas depends on ecosystem
services derived from adjacent conservation reserves. Tourism associated
with wildlife watching and outdoor recreation can be a welcome source of
income for underdeveloped countries. If local people share in the benefit
of saving wildlife, they probably will cooperate and the program will be
successful.
Threats to Oman Natural Ecosystems
There are many threats to Oman wildlife and natural ecosystems, including
extinction, habitat destruction, over-harvesting, pollution, and diseases.
Extinction is a normal process of the natural world. Today, however, impacts
on populations and ecosystems have accelerated the rate of extinction,
causing many species to become in the edge of extinction every year. If the
present trends continue, we may destroy hundreds of species in the next
few decades. The biggest reason for the current increase in extinction is
habitat loss. Destruction of natural habitats and biologically rich ecosystems
all over Oman threatens to eliminate biodiversity in a human-caused mass
extinction. By destroying habitat, we eliminate not only prominent species,
20 May 2011 P4
but also many obscure ones of which we may not even be aware. Overhunting and over-harvesting are also responsible for depletion of many
species. A classic example here in Oman is the extermination of White Oryx.
Over-hunting and habitat destruction caused the entire population to crash;
the last known wild white Oryx in Oman (before reintroduction) was shot in
early 1970s. Another example is Arabian leopard, which is a “living-dead”
species living below minimum viable population. The same can be said
for many other wild plant, animal, bird species. In addition, smuggling of
endangered species represents a serious threat to many rare wild species.
Aliens introduced species (exotic species) into new habitats where they
are not native are one of greatest threats to native biodiversity. There are
hundreds of alien species in Oman. One classic example is Prosopis juliflora
(Alghaf Albahri) plant species, which has been introduced (from the arid
Southwest United States and Northwest Mexico) into Oman as a fast
growing ornamental tree in landscape planting throughout the country.
This alien species was preferred for landscaping in Oman because it has
a short juvenile period, grows much faster and is physiologically well
adapted to arid conditions. The biology of native or indigenous species,
including seed collection, storage and germination, was poorly understood
while seeds of alien species were readily available and plants were easily
grown on ground without shelter. Within less than three decades since the
introduction of P. juliflora to Oman, it is now considered that this species
has the second most significant threat to biodiversity following human
destruction of habitats. The spread of this invasive alien species has now
reached unprecedented proportions threatening many indigenous plant
species. My recent estimation using Remote Sensing techniques indicated
that there are now over 20 Million plants, which are enough to cause severe
disruption of prevailing vegetation dynamics in this part of arid and semiarid. In our field survey in Batinah Coast, we noticed that the density of
P. juliflora seedlings was significantly higher compared with P. cineraria
seedlings in a place where matured plants of both species were found
naturally. These results suggesting that P. juliflora increases its survivorship
as a result of resources exploitation or interference by individuals of
other plant species. Moreover, this alien species possesses allelochemicals
that prevent the germination and growth of other plant species. Various
countries have tried numerous methods to remove P. juliflora but the
results were mostly disappointing. One step for the protection of habitats
from this invasive alien species may be to encourage local communities
to use P. juliflora as fodder for livestock, fuel-wood and timber that might
reduce the pressure for P. cineraria and other indigenous plants. The wood
of P. juliflora is hard, heavy and burns slowly and evenly whilst holding
heat well. Industrially, the wood can be used for light carpentry, door and
window frames.
Alteration of habitats by human activities is the greatest threat to the
richness of life in many parts of Oman. If we view the broader landscape
of ecosystems, for example Dhofar Mountains, the most striking pattern so
often fragmentation of a once continuous natural landscape. The remaining
habitat is cut into smaller, more isolated patches. However, over the years, we
gradually became aware of the harm we had done to wildlife and biological
resources, and we are adopting National Legislation and International
Treaties to protect and conserve our wildlife and natural resources. There
has been considerable progress in this area, but much remains to be done.
Mind Over Matter
SQU Plant Researchers Isolate
45 New Fungal Species
Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’di added that isolation of fungi from plant
material is usually carried out on media, made up from potato,
glucose and agar. Upon isolation, the fungi are purified and then
identified to the genus and species level using morphological
characteristics (i.e. length, width, shape, etc). Confirmation of
identity, especially for the new fungi is further achieved using
sequences of some regions in the genetic material of fungi
(DNA). To this, the DNA is first extracted from fungi, followed
by amplifying a specific region in the DNA. After that the DNA
region is sequenced (determining the sequence of nucleotides
which make up the DNA) and the sequence is compared to
available sequences of different fungi from different parts of the
world. After confirming identity, the fungus and/or the DNA
sequence is placed in an international database (Gene Bank),
followed by issuing an accession number from the organization
in which the sequence/fungus is deposited. All sequences and
fungi which were deposited in international databases were
deposited with affiliation to SQU.
Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’di
Research efforts in the Plant Pathology Research Laboratory at SQU
have successfully led to uncovering the existence of more than 45
new fungal species to Oman in 2010. Most of these new fungi were
found to associate with diseases in a number of important crops in
Oman, which include date palms, Omani limes and some vegetable
crops. These fungal species belong to several fungal genera, which
include Fusarium species, Phoma species and others. This number
of new fungal species to Oman will be added to more than 120
fungi which have been reported in Oman over the past 39 years.
Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’di, a plant pathologist and Assistant Professor
in the Department of Crop Sciences at SQU, said that among the 45
new fungi, at least 20 were isolated from date palm trees showing
various disease symptoms. “Over seven of these fungi are reported
for the first time on a global basis to cause diseases on date palm.
Although from a science point of view it may appear to be good
to report this number of new fungi, pursuing further studies on
disease problems which may be caused by these fungi on date palm
is indeed of a very high priority at this stage. However, continuing
such investigations into the risks which may be imposed by these
fungi on the most important fruit crop in Oman are limited at
this stage by availability of fund. The blessed tree (Date Palm) is
seeking support from research funding agencies in Oman to protect
from any future disasters”, he said.
The Plant Pathology Research Laboratory, which is one of the
laboratories in the department of Crop Sciences, College of
Agricultural and Marine Sciences, is dedicated towards carrying
out research and providing short and long-term solutions to
the major diseases affecting plants in Oman. These include
research on Witches’ broom disease of lime, mango decline,
vegetable diseases and fungal disease of date palms, citrus
trees and native Omani plants. Other important areas include
tracking pathways by which new fungal and bacterial disease
are introduced into the country and examining population
genetics of the most serious fungal pathogens. In addition to
this, attention is also given to development of human resources,
especially the young Omani graduates. There are currently 8
MSc and 2 PhD students working in the laboratory on some
of the important diseases affecting agriculture in the country.
In addition, the laboratory provides short training programs
for graduates and employers from different governmental
sectors. According to Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’di, a total of 12 Omani
candidates were trained in 2010 on various techniques used in
plant pathology. Most of the training programs are provided
free of charge as a contribution towards the development of
human resources in the country.
Researchers at the Plant Pathology Research Laboratory
have established solid collaboration with researchers from
the Ministry of Agriculture, Royal farms and gardens, Oman
Botanical Garden and Muscat Municipality. In addition,
collaborations have also been established with scientists and
researchers from various countries, including the USA, Brazil,
Australia, the Netherlands, the UAE and Iran. The laboratory
also provides advisory service to various governmental sectors
with respect to diseases affecting plants as well as providing
international consultancy through reviewing service in a
number of peer-reviewed international journals. Outcomes
from research in the laboratory have been published in several
peer-reviewed international journals.
Dr. Abdullah Al Sa’di gratefully acknowledged the financial
support to these studies which came mainly through His
Majesty’s Strategic Research Project on the potential sources of
plant pathogenic fungi and bacteria into farms in Oman and
also from the internal project on characterization of gummosis
and foot/root rot of Citrus in Oman. Commenting on future
strategies, he said that resolving challenges which face research
and continuous support to research at SQU will be the main
drivers of success in research.
20 May 2011 P5
News Round Up
Towards Combating
Drug Resistance
By: Jayanthi Radhakrishnan & Dr. Rekha Ogale
The faculty and students of Fundamentals and Nursing Administration
and Community and Mental health Departments of the College of
Nursing at SQU celebrated World Health Day on 21st April 2011, at
Sega village of Samayil Wilayat, with the aim to disseminate the
WHO theme for this year “Combat Drug Resistance”. Antimicrobial
resistance is a growing threat to human race as it can jeopardize health
care gains for individuals and society. It is important that people of
Sultanate of Oman are aware of the consequences of antimicrobial
resistance and how to combat the same.
On arrival at Sega Government School , the faculty and students
were welcomed by the Sheik of the village and members of the
sport team. Mr. Yaqob Al Rashid, Sheik of the Sega village provided
relevant information about the village in his welcome address. After
a refreshing breakfast the team joined the community health nursing
students and faculty in their community assessment survey in order
to individually visit each family and encourage them to attend the
afternoon exhibition.
The Fundamentals and Nursing administration department students
and faculty had prepared several posters in Arabic language on drug
resistance and how to combat the same. The posters were exhibited at
Sega Government school auditorium. The Exhibition was inaugurated
by Ms. Khalsa Ahmed Saif Al Rawahi, Nursing Director of Samayil
Hospital. About 200 people visited the exhibition and utilized the
health assessment facilities. The students explained to the visitors on
how rational use of drugs can reduce the incidence of drug resistance,
besides elaborating the importance of individual’s commitment to
combat drug resistance. On the whole, an awareness on the challenge
the drug resistance can pose was created among the population
that visited the exhibition besides educating them on judicial use of
antimicrobials. Ms. Khalsa Ahmed Saif Al Rawahi, Nursing Director of
Samayil Hospital and the Sheik of the village appreciated the contents
of the exhibits as very useful and applicable.
The response to the exhibition was so much overwhelming that ,upon
request by the village head, the exhibits were left in place for one
week for the rest of the village population to view at their convenient
time. The successful celebration of this year’s WHO day by the
Fundamentals and Nursing Administration department of College
of Nursing was possible with tremendous contribution from the
Community and Mental health department of College of Nursing,
Nursing personnel of the Sega village, Samayil wilayat and Sport
team of the Sega village. Dr. Samira Maroof, Head of Community
and Mental Health Department of College of Nursing awarded the
volunteers with mementos as an act of appreciation .The Sheik of the
village in turn presented a memento in appreciation of the community
activity. Throughout the entire activity the hospitality extended by
the villagers was highly commendable that led to the success of the
activity besides making it an activity by the people for the people.
20 May 2011 P6
Preparations for Annual
Student Trips
The Deanship of Students Affairs at SQU has started its preparations for the
annual student trips supported by the generous fund from His Majesty. This
year, the male student batch is visiting Ireland and United Kingdom where
as the female batch is touring different places in the Republics of Germany
and Austria. The trips will commence during the last week of May.
The students are selected for annual student trips on the basis of their
performance in academic and co-curricular spheres. The idea behind
organizing student trips annually is to familiarise the students with the
cultural and social aspects of different countries across the world.
This year, the male batch, consisting of 36 students and four staff members,
is led by Dr. Badr bin Hilal, Dean of Student Affairs and the female batch
consisting of the same number of students and staff, is headed by Dr. Zakia
al Busaidi from the College of Medicine & Health Sciences.
Translation Symposium
Focuses on Technology
The eighth annual symposium of the Translation Group at SQU was
held under the theme “Technology and Trainee Translators”. The
opening ceremony was held under the patronage of Dr. Talal Yousuf
Al Awadhi, Assistant Dean for Undergraduate Studies of the College of
Arts & Social Sciences. The symposium included a number of activities
such as presentation of working papers and workshops dealing with
various aspects of translation, led by specialists from different countries.
Translation competitions were also organised on the sidelines of the
symposium. The symposium sessions mainly focussed on the relation
between translation and technology and the importance of technology
to translators.
Salima Salim Al Nassri, a member of the Translation Group at SQU, said
that the symposium was successful in making contributions to shape
and develop the skills of translation students. “It shed light on different
modern technologies that help the translators in their career and enable
them to store a larger number of terms and expressions.
Dr. Fayiz Suyyagh, Socio Economist at the Centre for Strategic Studies
in the University of Jordan, gave the keynote speech on the topic
“Translation and Information Technology: Skills, Challenges and
Risks”. He said that over recent decades, unprecedented advancement
has occurred globally in the production, exchange, and processing of
information, as well as its analysis and use. The impact of this advance
may exceed the one brought about by the Industrial Revolution, since
the infrastructure of information and communication technologies
(ICT), their equipment and their software, have come to play the role of
the society’s nervous system.
The symposium covered a number of topics such as “The role of Quran
as an inspiring source for translation studies”, “ Human translators
versus machine translators”, “Introduction to translation technologies”,
“Sources for the translator”, “Teaching strategies in translation
training”, “Translation technology: history, potential and challenges”,
etc. In addition to speakers from SQU, experts from Jordan and the
University of Nizwa, gave presentations.
Panorama
Award for College of Education Academician
Dr. Alaa Sadik, Assistant Professor in the Department of Instructional &
Learning Technologies of the College of Education at SQU, has won the
Arab e-Content Award 2011 for RealShow project (http://www.alaasadik.
net/realshow) in the Inclusion & Participation category. The award, hosted
by the Kingdom of Bahrain, recognizes the outstanding achievements of
content producers, application developers and new media providers who
use the Internet to create exceptional value for users and are leaders for the
region and Arab world.
Dr. Alaa Sadik said that RealShow is a free software and video sharing
network. It was developed to facilitate the process of producing and sharing
quality and accessible video content for learners in Oman. “Although
producing video tutorials for normal learners is not a new idea, few
simple and efficient solutions have been applied to help educators prepare
accessible video and flash content, particularly for those who are deaf or
tend to be visual. The software provides a simple technique to integrate
popular PowerPoint slides, freehand drawings, direct text typing, web page
content, and teacher’s video view in one single window. It allows teachers
create video content using several translation techniques, including facial
expressions, natural gestures, and sign language, which help convey
messages. RealShow encourages teachers to produce video content that
meets our students’ needs in a cost-effective way and share the content via
RealShow community and electronic or mobile media, which can be used to
bridge many gaps”, he said. Dr. Alaa Sadik and his project was nominated
officially by the Information Technology Authority in Oman.
The award ceremony was held under the patronage of His Highness
Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak Al Khalifa, Deputy Prime Minister
of the Kingdome of Bahrain and Chairman of the Supreme Committee
for Information and Communication Technology during the Bahrain
International e-Government Forum from the 17th to the 18th of May 2011.
The Arab e-Content Award is part of the World Summit Award (WSA), it
implements the vision of the World Summit Award and shares the awareness
for the need for local digital content.
The Arab e-Content Award’s main objective is to promote and encourage
creativity in the Arab eContent domain and to outline the collaboration
between the countries in the region regarding its field to reach an
international level. Through this award, participants will be evaluated with
the same published international standards set by WSA. The winners, who
will be awarded during the Bahrain International e-Government Forum
and IT Expo 2011, will automatically be eligible to compete for the WSA
2011. The Arab e-Content Award consists of eight categories e-Government
and Institutions, e-Health and Environment, e-Learning and Education,
e-Entertainment & Games, e-Culture & Heritage, e-Business & Commerce,
e-Science & Technology, and e-Inclusion & Participation.
Emerald Publishes SQU Academic’s Book
on Islamic Economics and Finance
This book is a scholarly work on the foundations of the role that the moral
and ethical law plays in human enterprise, comprising economics, finance,
society and science. Divided into three parts, namely theoretical, empirical,
and application, the study covers a vast area of socio-scientific investigation
and is extensively comparative in perspective. Its methodology is a mix
of a textual, analytical, diagrammatic, mathematical and applied nature,
spanning various problems of Islamic economics, finance, society and
science within a general- system worldview of unity of knowledge.
The most recent book
authored by Dr. Masudul
Alam Choudhury, Professor
of
Economics
in
the
Department of Economics
& Finance at the College of
Commerce & Economics, has
been published by Emerald
Group Publishing Limited,
a
leading
independent
publisher of global research
with impact in business, business, public society, and education. The book
entitled Islamic Economics and Finance: an Epistemological Inquiry has
been published as the exclusive Volume 291 of the series Contributions to
Economic Analysis (Bradford, UK: Emerald, February 2011). This series was
established by the Nobel Laureates Professor Jan Tinbergen and Professor
D.W. Jorgenson. Presently the series is edited by the distinguished professors
B.H. Baltagi and E. Sadka.
This book presents a multidimensional general-system conception, and the
construction, formalism, application and inference as these are empirically
viable and explainable. It uses the language of philosophy of science and
mathematical models alongside quantitative policy-theoretic analysis. At
a time when an epistemological study of the foundations of economics,
finance, society and science is receiving crucial attention worldwide, this
text is rendered equally accessible to both the informed reader and the
specialized reader.
Prof. Choudhury thanked SQU and the College of Commerce for giving
him opportunities for such kinds of research outputs and dissemination of
ideas internationally. A part of the research leading to this book was funded
by an Internal Research Grant at CCE for the period 2008-2009. Lauding the
achievement of his colleague, Dr. Fahim al Marhubi, Dean of the College of
Commerce & Economics, said that Prof. Choudhury is a pioneer in the field
of Islamic finance and economics. “Although this book is an outstanding
achievement by anyone’s standards, it amazingly represents only a small
portion of his scholarly contributions”, Dr. Fahim observed.
20 May 2011 P7
Straight Talk
Ian Strachan
Ian Strachan is the founder and principal of Emerald Hill
Developments, a consultancy firm specialising in facilitation,
change management, training and creative problem solving.
He has worked over thirty years in marketing communications.
From 1988, he took over responsibility for training in Asia
Pacific for the international marketing communications
agency Ogilvy & Mather. In 1992, he moved to Hong Kong as
Regional Director of Training and Development. During his
recent visit to Oman, he visited SQU and gave a workshop to
a group of students and faculty members on the topic “Logic
and Magic: How to get more ideas”. He was invited to run
the session by his first cousin, Dr Andrew Palfreman, who
is part of the CAMS faculty. Excerpts from his conversation
with Horizon:
Horizon: Could you please shed light on your professional background?
Ian: After working for many years in London, Australia and throughout
Asia in the area of marketing communications, I set up Emerald Hill
Developments in Melbourne to design and deliver tailor-made solutions
to marketing and marketing communications companies in Asia.
Horizon: Can you say a few words about the workshop that you presented
at SQU?
Ian: In the workshop, I gave the students various exercises and challenges.
The workshop attempted to help the students to be more creative in
coming up with ideas. So I talked about ideas: what they are and how
we get them. I explained that ideas live in the brain. As you know, both
sides of the brain are needed for the complete creative process. The left
side of the brain is the part most developed at school and university; it
deals with logic, words, order and numbers. By contrast, the right side
of the brain deals with space, colour, images and synthesis. We need to
make sure that we get better access to the right side in order to break away
from conventional patterns of thought, generate new ideas and synthesise
concepts.
Horizon: How did you develop interest in the area of generating ideas or
creativity?
Ian: I worked in advertising agencies for more than three and a half
decades. I am particularly interested in the world of ideas and trying to
help people access new and different ideas. I understand that His Majesty
Sultan Qaboos bin Said has underlined the importance of creativity and
innovation in the development of Oman – creativity which comes up with
new ideas, and innovation which puts these ideas into practical use. I was
trying to help the students by giving some thoughts on how to come up
with original ideas and how to evaluate them.
Horizon: Is there any short cut to create ideas?
Ian: The biggest short cut is to stop criticising when you are in the process
of generating ideas. We are so conditioned to left brain thinking that when
we come across an idea for the first time, most of us will immediately start
to criticise it. We are no doubt trying to be helpful, but the chances are
that we will kill the idea at an early stage when it is still half-formed. So
when you encounter a new interesting idea, don’t criticise it immediately;
instead, try to work out what the positives of the idea are and then look for
directions to improve it (expressing the negatives in a positive way that
allows you to move forward). The process of evaluation comes later.
Horizon:
students?
Can you elaborate on the puzzles and exercises given to the
Ian: If we have task or problem before us, we think about it and sometimes
after a bit the solution comes as if by magic. I use the analogy ready-aimfire to describe this. But often this doesn’t work for us, the solution doesn’t
come easily. We feel blocked, we become frustrated and angry as we can’t
find a way forward. I was helping SQU students by giving them a series
of puzzles and exercises. For each one, some saw the solution easily while
others couldn’t. Instead of telling them the answers I encouraged those
who had already solved the puzzle to give clues to the others as to how
they arrived at the answer. So we developed blockbusters as we went
along. Another analogy is ready-aim–re-aim. Often the answers we come
up with are conditioned by the way we frame the problem or task. Stating
the problem in a different way allows us to see the problem in a new light
– to “reframe” it -- leading to new and different solutions. So I wanted the
students to start to move from conventional thinking (there is only one
“right answer”) to produce many different possible “right answers”. So
don’t stop at the first answer that you get; push for the second, third, and
so on. If you have ten “right answers” to a single problem, you can then
choose the best answer.