Symposium on Literacy and Pedagogy: A Worthwhile Endeavour
Panorama
Climate Change: Challenges and Chances for the Arab Countries
Mind Over Matter
SQU Students Excel at Kuwait Invention Fair
News Update
Living with Health
Anxiety Disorder
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 325
View Point
Academic Integrity
Mohamed Salem Al Ghailani
Editorial Supervision
Santhosh Muthalath
Senior Editor
Sara Al Gheilani
Nasebah Al Muharrami
Translation
Ahlam Al Wahaibi
Design & Layout
Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Salim Al Sudairi
Circulation
SQU-info
With every technological advance such as the rise of social media, smart
phones, mobile apps, and e-books, academic dishonesty has become a major
problem in higher education institutions across the world. Students can take
photos of exams and questions and post them of Facebook or distribute them
via e-mail and tweet exam questions and answers. Students share and distribute such information and material before and during exams with the help of
smart phones. Phones are now used for referencing, from searching for answer
keys to researching information. These devices are also used as a form of communication between students during exams by messaging such as SMS and
MMS. The small mobile devices that are compact enough to fit inside pockets
are causing major problems for professors across many universities. Professors
are constantly attempting to detect and diminish cheating by using technology
the same way students keep innovating new ways to get ahead in school.
A new report on academic misconduct at an Australian university has found
that the Internet and smartphones have made it easier for students to cheat
in exams. The report followed investigations into ways to prevent and detect
academic dishonesty and misconduct among students at the university. The
issue of academic misconduct is not trivial. A study on multiple-choice exams
within the university revealed an average level of cheating of about 5 per cent.
Smartphones and social media, helps students share stolen exam papers and
questions quickly, with several cases of this reported across the university.
The authors of the report found exam supervision must be rigorous; devices
should be confiscated and recommended a solution be found to prevent students using toilet breaks to search the internet for answers. The report stated
the major forms of academic dishonesty involved plagiarism, collusion, recycling and ghost writing.
Academic integrity and honesty are central components of a student’s education, and the ethical conduct maintained in an academic context will be taken
eventually into a student’s professional career. Academic integrity is essential
in a community of scholars searching and learning to search for truth. Lack of
commitment to integrity undermines the efforts of the entire academic community. Both students and faculty are responsible for ensuring the academic
integrity in any university.
@SQU-info
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.
The views and opinions expressed in the articles published in this newsletter are those of the authors
and are not to be construed as the official views of the publication. 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 November 2015 P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
News Update
Minister Meets
Student Council
Representatives
Sultan Qaboos University organized an open meeting between H. E.
Dr. Rawia Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of Higher Education and Chairperson of the SQU Council, and members of the Student Advisory
Council at SQU for the period 2015 – 2016. H.E. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al
Bimani, Vice Chancellor of SQU, and Dr. Yousef Al Hinai, Dean of
Student Affairs also attended the meeting. The minister called upon
the students’ representatives to carry out their duties in the best possible manner in order to fulfill their responsibilities to the student
community.
The Student Advisory Council at SQU consists of 17 student representatives, elected by the university students. It organizational
structure includes a chair, a deputy chair, secretary and three main
committees: the Committee of Academic Affairs, the Committee of
Student Services, and the Committee of Activities and Initiatives.
SQU to Offer Master’s
Program in Educational
Technology
The first meeting of Sultan Qaboos University Council for the academic year 2015-2016 was held on 23 November at Sultan Qaboos
University. The meeting was chaired H.E Dr. Rawya Saud Al Busaidi, Minister of Higher Education and Chairperson of the Council.
The council approved a Master’s program in Educational Technology at the College of Education. The goal is to produce graduates
who are capable to formulate and develop an effective vision in the
field of educational technology. The university council approved a
major in biomedical signal engineering and medical devices as a specialization at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the College of Engineering in collaboration with the College
of Medicine and Health Sciences. The introduction of this major is in
order to meet the requirements of the local job market needs in Biomedical Engineering sector. The council also adopted the policy of
staff orientation at the university, which seeks to ensure appropriate
environment and promote the culture of quality.
SQU Students Excel at Kuwait Invention Fair
The invention “Multi-Purpose Helmet” from Somo Company represented by Salim Al Habsi and Mohammed Al Habsi won the silver
medal. The project aims to increase the efficiency of workers and reduce the high temperature based on its safety standards. The project
(I Mix) of SkyMix Company represented by Hamdan Al Saqri, Suraya
Al Hanai and Amna Al Tarshi got the silver medal. This invention
helps solve the problem of forgetting children in vehicles through
the motion sensor and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide inside
the vehicle.
Sultan Qaboos University students won gold and silver prizes
at the eighth International Invention Fair of the Middle East
(IIFME), held in Kuwait from 16 to 19 November 2015. Students from SQU won gold medal and the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) prize for the invention
“Automatic Explorer”. Students Olaa Al Shukili, Badrya Al
Hinai, Nussibah Al Kindi, and Fatima Al Hajri came up with
this invention that pertains to image analysis and speed adjust
system.
His Highness Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Emir
of Kuwait patronized International Invention Fair of the Middle East
(IIFME). The International Invention Fair is one of the most significant and largest specialized exhibitions of inventions in the Middle
East, and deemed as the second largest international exhibition all
over the world. Being part of the efforts of the International Exhibition of Geneva, it is also deemed as an opportunity for revealing the
culture of invention to societies and strengthening the existing relationships among the inventors, companies and corporations.
The student companies fall under the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Group at SQU, which is supervised by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department. The department supports these projects
and facilitate students’ participation in the international forums.
P3 30 November 2015
Insight
Living with Health
Anxiety Disorder
Hamed Al Sinawi
Health anxiety disorder is a very distressing disorder both to the patients
and to his health care providers. Patients with health anxiety disorder
present to primary care and specialized medical service with repeated requests for medical investigation. Despite reassurance and negative results,
they continue to exhibit this preoccupation, and any attempt to stop them
from seeking medical advice leads to tremendous stress and anxieties that
impair their functioning. Such patients have psychological bases to their
symptoms and need psychological interventions to help them cope.
In an article published in the “International Journal of Nutrition, Pharmacology and Neurological Diseases”, Dr. Mohammed Al Alawi and Dr.
Hamed Al Sinawi from the Department of Behavioral Medicine at SQU,
describe the case of a man who presented with a preoccupation with having human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection that made him pay for
repeated tests, about more than 100 times. This article was published with a
view to increase health-care professionals’ awareness about mental illness.
This case report is part of Dr. Mohammed’s a campaign named (Your Mental health )aiming at promoting mental health and destigmatizing mental
illnesses at deferent levels .
A 35-year-old a private sector employee presented with a 10-year history of
excessive worry that he may have acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
(AIDS) after he read about HIV as part of his course. Around that time, he
heard about a colleague who died of AIDS, which made him more worried
about having the disease himself despite not having a close relationship
with that neighbor. He started attending local hospitals and asking to be
tested for HIV infection after shaving or sharing cups with other people.
He continued having himself tested repeatedly and contacting international labs in United Kingdom and USA , sending them his blood samples.
He spent hours reading different articles about HIV testing and the HIV
genome. He continued to send his blood for testing, around 100-200 times,
despite getting negative results every time. He is aware that his excessive
worries about having AIDS are irrational but cannot stop himself from
sending his blood for testing; this has cost him lots of money, and he has
had to borrow money from his wife and brothers.
He is married and has two children. He has no medical illness, and his
early childhood was uneventful. Both of his parents are alive and healthy,
and there is no family history of mental illness. He was well dressed but
appeared tearful and anxious, his speech was coherent, and he described
his excessive fear of AIDS as irrational but was unable to resist being fearful. He had no abnormal perception, he believed that he had a psychiatric
disorder, and he was seeking professional help. The patient was diagnosed
with hypochondriasis (Health Anxiety), started medication was referred
30 November 2015 P4
Dr. Mohammed Al Alawi
for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). He showed significant improvement of his symptoms and continued to attend CBT sessions.
What is Hypochondriasis?
Dr. Mohammed Al Alawi said that hypochondriasis (also known as illness
anxiety disorder) is a preoccupation that physical symptoms are signs of a
serious illness, even when there is no medical evidence to support the presence of an illness. “In hypochondriasis, patients make catastrophic overestimates of the probability and seriousness of having a medical illness that
leads to preoccupation with the suspected illness, pay selective attention
to illness-related stimuli, and experience irresistible urges to seek medical
advice and reassurance to a degree that causes psychosocial impairment”.
Excessive worries about one’s health are also observed in patients with
other mental health problems, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder,
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and some types of specific phobias
known as illness phobia. According to international studies, the prevalence
of hypochondriasis from the general population and primary care studies
is estimated to be 0.02-8.5%. However, 10-20% of healthy people and 45%
of those without a major psychiatric diagnosis have intermittently experienced worries related to illness anxiety. A study from Germany found the
prevalence of hypochondriasis to be low (0.58%) using less restrictive diagnostic criteria, while a study conducted in Australia reported the prevalence among general practice attendees to be 18.6%, with an increase in
patients with depression and anxiety. Hypochondriasis is equally common
among both genders and all age groups, and is associated with significant
disability and high health costs.
Hypochondriasis is a distressing disorder for the patients and it is often under recognized and too costly for health-care services to manage. Patients
with hypochondriasis usually refuse referral to psychiatrists, as they do
not agree that their distress is psychologically-based, and therefore tend to
visit general practitioners or specialists. Thus, the management of the hypochondriac patient usually occurs within the primary-care setting. Complicated and treatment-resistant cases are referred to psychiatrists.
“People with hypochondriasis often consult a variety of specialists and
may be reluctant to see a psychiatrist. Clinicians need to consider this
condition in patients presenting with frequent medical problems without
a physical cause, and to consider psychotherapy as a treatment modality.
They also need to be able to communicate to patients the nature of the
disorder and to encourage them to accept effective treatment”, Dr. Mohammed Al Alawi concluded.
Mind Over Matter
Climate Change: Challenges and
Chances for the Arab Countries
By: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Stribrny
Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR)
Hannover, Germany
Climate is a statistical description of the mean weather
conditions at one location in a 30-years-long period. Climate is steered by different factors. An important factor
is the composition of the atmosphere. Worldwide the annual primary energy consumption rose by 70% since 1970.
Whilst the highest growth rates result from oil and natural
gas combustion, a strong increase of coal consumption is to
be ascertained from the year 2000 on, particularly in China.
In 2013 the global anthropogenic CO2 emissions reached
approx. 47 Gt (109 t). Until 2030 another 50% increase of
demand is projected. The reasons are a strongly growing
world population, booming upcoming economies as well
as increasing individual energy consumptions. Caused by
growing fossil energy combustion the atmospheric CO2
contents rose from the year 1800 to 2007 by 35% from 280
ppmV to 380 ppmV (10-6 volume shares). Increased CO2
contents in the atmosphere result in the greenhouse effect
and in rising global average temperatures. According to
the 4th Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel
on Climate Change (IPCC 2007), most of the observed
increase in global average temperatures since the mid20th century is therefore very likely due to the observed
increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations.
Based on palaeoclimatic and present-day data, different
scenarios of climate change that assume different emission
rates of greenhouse gases predict global average temperature increases of about 2-6 °C by the year 2100.
Challenges for the Arab Countries
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC) and the 2009 Report of the Arab Forum for
Environment and Development (AFD) the Arab countries
are among the most vulnerable in the world to impacts
of increased average temperatures, less and more erratic
rainfall and sea level rise, due to the fact, that the region
is already confronted by aridity, drought and water scarcity. In the upcoming years and decades more frequent
occurrences of extreme weather events are expected in
the region mentioned. Sea level rise is connected to a reduction of available land surface by flooding or coastal
erosion for example in the Nile delta. Moreover elevated
sea levels will result in salt water intrusion into coastal
freshwater aquifers, which can lead to contamination of
drinking water resources. Climate change related gradual
changes in precipitation and groundwater balances might
threaten water supplies. Each of these events and processes increases the vulnerability of human populations and
their homes and livelihoods, and starts a chain reaction of
public health problems that often culminate in the challenge of caring for large numbers of people under harsh
environmental conditions. Whether climate change will
trigger a northward movement of ecologic and climatic
zones in northern Africa and on the Arabian peninsula
and whether these displacements will provide drier or
even more humid climate conditions, is object of recent
discussions and of future downscaled modelling. In any
case, it will depend on the speed of the displacement of the
zones whether the ecosystems can adapt themselves to the
changed conditions.
Chances for the Arab Countries
Even though the Arab Countries differ strongly in economy, technology, geography and biodiversity, a comparable present day situation as well as specific problems and
their solution attempts in regard to climate change are observable. Particularly for the oil- and gas-producing Arab
Countries the negative impact risks of climate change
might be a motivation and an open chance for the diversification of their economy. Besides positive image effects
a “green” or “low emission economy” and their products
provide growing future markets. Especially in the field of
renewable energy, first of all for solar energy, the natural
potential of North Africa and the Arab peninsula is unlimited. For example the development of solar-powered desalination plants for sea water, as the first projects in Saudi
Arabia and Qatar will show, opens access to a new natural
resource for drinking and irrigation water. Further chances for the Arab Countries are combined with the production and even the export of renewable energies. In coastal
areas the potential of aquaculture to reduce poverty and
hunger has been recognised in Africa, but growth in the
sector is small up-to-now, providing less than 2% of fish.
Conclusion
Due to the extreme vulnerability of Arab Countries in relation to climate change, mitigation and adaptation strategies are to be developed and implemented. For mitigation
a reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and an increase
of renewable energy sources are necessary to alleviate climate change. Adaptation plans are particularly important
for coastal zones, delta areas and low lands. Moreover
specific protection plans are necessary to prevent a further
loss on biodiversity, valuable habitats and ecosystems,
both onshore and offshore. Finally, if one weighs the advantages and the disadvantages which arise by the projected climate change a clear trend is observable, that for
the Arab Countries negative climatic impacts will outbalance the economic chances by far.
bernhard.stribrny@bgr.de
P5 30 November 2015
News Round Up
SQU, University of South
Carolina to Boost Ties
Sultan Qaboos University and the University of South Carolina in USA,
have agreed to strengthen partnership between the two institutions through
exchange of faculty members, researchers and students, and collaborative
research. A letter of understanding in this regard has been signed recently
by H.E. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor of SQU, and Dr.
Harris Pastides, President of the University of South Carolina, at SQU today.
As per the letter of understanding, the two universities will boost cooperation by organizing joint forums, lectures, symposia and training activities. The institutions will promote faculty and researchers exchange and
exchange of graduate and undergraduate students, and encourage cross
cultural learning and research initiatives. To promote joint research, SQU
and the University of South Carolina will explore topics for joint research
proposals for international funding. The letter of understanding envisages
initiation of discussion for cooperation in development of courses and academic programs.
Subsequent to signing the letter of understanding, representatives from the
two universities discussed on prospective areas of academic and research
cooperation. They agreed on initiating joint activities in engineering and
computing, business studies, medicine, and tourism and hospitality management studies. H.H. Sayyidah Dr. Mona bint Fahad Al Said, SQU Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation, SQU, and a number
of senior academicians and officials from SQU and the University of South
Carolina attended the talks and signing ceremony.
SQU, Ministry of Tourism
to Hold Joint Activities
Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Tourism will carry out a number of joint activities of mutual interest including research, training courses
and celebrations. The second meeting of the SQU-Ministry of Tourism joint
committee held at SQU discussed these topics. The meeting was led by
Sheikh Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Hinai, SQU Vice Chancellor’s Advisor for Environmental Affairs and Community Service, and Sayyid Adel Al
Murtada Al Busaidi Advisor for Tourism Affairs at the Ministry of Tourism.
30 November 2015 P6
SQU Hosts Oman
Mathematics Day
The Oman Mathematics Committee organized the first Oman Mathematics Day at Sultan Qaboos University under the patronage of
H.H.Sayyidah Dr. Mona bint Fahad Al Said, SQU Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Cooperation. The event was organized with a
view to streamline the activities of the Oman Mathematics Committee,
which is an associate member of the International Mathematical Union (IMU). The talks and other activities of the forum revolved around
the theme “Technology in Teaching and Learning Mathematics”.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Magda bint Talib Al Hinai, Chairperson
of Oman Mathematics Committee (OMC), said that OMC is the corresponding National Committee that serves as a liaison between the
mathematicians in Oman and the IMU. “The Committee is all set to
streamline its activities by strengthening the network of mathematicians in the country. Our goal is to be an active member of IMU by
conducting many events on mathematics such as seminars, competitions and gatherings to help those interested in mathematics to meet,
present, and discuss their ideas and research experiences. IMU is
an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organization, with the purpose of promoting international cooperation in
mathematics. It promotes international cooperation in mathematics,
and supports and assists the International Congress of Mathematicians and other international scientific meetings and conferences”, she
said.
From now onwards, Oman Mathematics Committee would organize
Oman Mathematics Day every year. Dr. Fatma Al Kharousi, a member
of the committee said that OMC would soon launch its website to disseminate information on its activities. “A series of seminars and other
activities will be held in different parts of Oman including schools and
higher educational institutions to promote mathematics education
and research. A few months back, the committee organized a workshop on the use of videos for teaching mathematics and a competition on developing the best smartphone application in mathematics”,
she said. In the opening ceremony, Dr. Iman El Osta, Assistant Dean,
School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, gave the
keynote address on “teaching and learning mathematics in the age of
computers”.
During the function, the logo of the Oman Mathematics Committee
was unveiled. The patron of the ceremony later opened an exhibition
on mathematics. Dr. Nasser Al Salti said that the exhibition was organized with the participation of German University of Technology,
the Ministry of Education and the College of Education at SQU. The
‘Imaginary’ exhibition organised by SQU and the German University
of Technology hosted interactive software stations, a mathematical
image gallery, 3D sculptures and pictures and films. The intention of
‘Imaginary’ exhibition is to display virtual stations and interactive illustrations of virtual realities, 3D objects and their theoretical background in algebraic geometry and singularity theory in an attractive
and understandable manner.
Panorama
Symposium on Literacy and Pedagogy:
A Worthwhile Endeavour
By: Neil Mcbeath
Language Centre
The College of Applied Sciences Second National Symposium on “Literacy and Pedagogy in the Digital Age – Issues and Challenges” was
held on 12 and 13 November 2015 at Rustaq College of Applied Sciences.
Described as a symposium, this gathering was almost a full-scale conference. Delegates met over two days, and were offered two keynote addresses, and a choice of three certificated workshops and twenty-seven
other papers. The cost of the symposium was OR 20, for which delegates
received coffee, tea and snacks on arrival, lunch on both days, and speakers had the option of attending a symposium dinner at the Millennium
Hotel. Other delegates had to pay for the dinner, and there was a charge
of five Omani Rials for each of the certificated workshops. For those who
are “pot hunting” this might be money well spent. A total of OR 30 buys
them three more certificates, and for those at the start of their careers,
this could be a bargain. More experienced practitioners might, however,
question the value of ‘qualifications’ that are quite so easily bought.
Other, slightly negative factors were that the Rustaq College of Applied
Science is not, in fact, actually in Rustaq. It stands beside the roundabout that leads Wushil and Mazaheit, and must be a good 5 km from
the centre of Rustaq. A second factor was that no fewer than three of the
advertised papers were cancelled at the last minute, but all three were
papers that this reviewer had wanted to attend. That is personal, but still
irritating.
For the rest, the symposium was a success. The sub-title – “Issues and
Challenges” opened the door for papers that were grounded in theory
and informed by research, as opposed to those that advocate “shortterm goals of acquiring a skill and/or some knowledge” (Rahman 2015;
216). This was not a conference that confined itself to offering “tips-forteachers”, as can be seen from the following synopses of the two keynote
addresses.
The first – “The Craft of English Language Teaching; Developing Skills
and Enhancing Practice” by Dr. Richard Kiely of the University of Southampton, set the tone. Kiely’s emphasis was on the concept of teaching as
a “craft”; an occupation that is simultaneously skilled, creative, expressive and fulfilling, and which, as in the medieval craft guilds, linked its
practitioners into a community of practice. This, Kiely suggested, flies in
the face of the “scientific” approach to teaching, where practice derives
from theory, and imposed methods, techniques and
course books reduce teachers to delivery agents,
denying them any agency. At its worst, this
results in the situation that Kiely found in
China, where teachers simply slog through
a course book, knowing they lack the time
to complete it, and so choose what to
omit so that they can concentrate on the grammar that is
part of the externally set examinations.
Many of these points were then taken up by Dr. Cristine Coombe of the
Dubai Men’s Higher College of Technology. Entitled “Professionalizing
Your English Language Teaching”, this paper explored the following
paradoxes. Some teachers easily find employment, while others do not;
teachers from the same training background can differ in classroom effectiveness; some teachers drift from job to job, while other settle and
give valued service over long periods. All these teachers would claim to
be “professional”, but there appears to be a difference between “professional” and “good”.
Coombe referred to a number of studies that have attempted to define
the “good” teacher, but the most important variable appears to be the
extent to which teachers are prepared to invest in their own professional
development. Qualifications, publications, impressive job titles and eminence in areas of academic specialization are not enough. The “good”
teacher would appear to be the reflective practitioner.
This was demonstrated by other speakers as well. Muna al Balushi
gave a partial answer to the question “Spilling or Spelling? Why do
Arab speakers stand out?” (Tuzovic 2015), at least in the Omani context. When schools use only one strategy for spelling – the Look; Cover;
Write; Check approach, they force learners to approach lexis one item at
a time. There is no room for the learning of language families – able; ability; disability; disenable, and learners are denied the support of context.
The results are obvious.
Similarly, Mahmoud Abu Oaf and Edward Langcay both emphasized
the importance of giving Omani students time to prepare, if they are
expected to give oral presentations. It might have been thought that this
would be obvious, but differences remain between the level of English
fluency that can be expected of students in the Capital Area and those
from the smaller towns of Oman. This was clearly demonstrated by Abu
Oaf’s anecdote about a student who, when put on the spot, replied, “I
don’t know” to every one of a series of questions, and then felt humiliated by his own ineptitude.
Spurred on by this failure, the student then demanded a chance to repeat the process, and produced a masterly performance, answering all
the questions with both fluency and confidence, giving grammatically
complex, informative answers that proved that his level of English
was perfectly satisfactory. This is the type of evidence that is
sought by reflective practitioners. It gives them food for
thought. It opens them to the work of peers in the community of practice, and it makes attendance at conferences like the Rustaq
Symposium worthwhile.
NB: References are available on request. The author may be contacted
by email to nmcbeath@squ.edu.om
Kiely suggested that the opposite
of this scenario was the creation of
a context in which practice was not
merely theory applied, but rather a
complex of skills; part of a tradition but
simultaneously emergent and evolving.
Placing the teacher at the centre of pedagogy would create practice that was personal,
resilient, enduring and sustainable, as each
class is a non-recurring event.
P7 30 November 2015
Straight Talk
A Champion of Social Service
Amal Nasirah
Amal Nasirah Hj Abd Mulok, from Negara Brunei Darussalam, is
spending one semester in the Department of Biology of the College
of Science at SQU as an exchange student majoring environmental
science and biology. Back home in Brunei, Amal Nasirah, is an established social worker and Secretary General of a national level
voluntary organization SCOT serving the underprivileged people
living in the rural areas of Brunei Darussalam. Established in May
2011, SCOT (Society for Community Outreach & Training) is a registered NGO with its mission being a catalyst for sustainable poverty
alleviation. Currently SCOT acts as a bridge on coming up with
more sustaining ways and strategies to help the underprivileged by
providing them with assistance in the form of resources, basic skills
and support to help them move out of the vicious cycle of poverty
through our ongoing sustainable projects.
who could only eat every few days, young children who
have to work to support their family.
Horizon: What are the activities of your organization to
fight poverty?
Amal: We believe in the power of education and empowerment in eradicating poverty from our soil. Around 70
active members of our organization support our activities in the fields of education, poverty eradication and
environmental protection. In 2013, the SCOT Education
program comprised of 11 weeks of volunteering activity
in teaching English to about 120 students at the Youth
Development Centre in Brunei. It was followed by a
two-week volunteering activity in teaching English to
underprivileged students in Cambodia. The objective of
the SCOT Education is to empower and build confidence
of trainers through English language skills training to
equip them with better employment opportunities. We
organized “The SCOT Run 2015” under the slogan “Fight
Poverty through Education” in May this year. The funds
raised from the run are channeled to provide scholarships
of empowerment to deserving and most progressive students. The funds are used for training students that we
are yet to choose from various institutional organizations
who then will be teaching English in Cambodia for the
underprivileged.
Horizon: Your organization has initiated a unique campaign that combines waste management and poverty
eradication. Can you explain?
Amal: The “Green Xchange” program initiated by our
organization is a two-sided approach where low-income
earners could benefit by incorporating the ‘Go Green’
theme. The crux of the project is that the members of the
community are encouraged to collect recyclable materials
and exchange them with basic commodities. It is hoped
that this could inculcate the habit of recycling among
Bruneians as well as those with low incomes to have an
extra source of sustenance. To date, SCOT have managed
to successfully organize six Green Xchange events covering over fifteen different villages. The volunteers collected more than 30 tons of recyclable materials from the
villagers; educated over 5,000 households on the theme
“not all trash are necessarily worthless”. We could engage
over 600 volunteers ranging from both professionals and
students to the public in successful waste management
through the Green Xchange Project. Through this project,
residents of a village were given 1.5kgs of rice against
recyclable waste materials worth $1.
Horizon: Brunei is a developed country and one of the richest nations. Why does poverty eradication become one of
your priorities?
Amal: The government of His Majesty, the Sultan of Brunei,
has been quite generous in providing welfare support to all
its residents. Even though our country is rich and several
welfare measures are in place, relative poverty is an issue.
There are people in remote areas who live with resources
that are below set standards, and excluded from ordinary
living patterns, customs and activities. Hidden from public
attention, are people who live without electricity, people
30 November 2015
Horizon: Could you talk about any other environmental
protection initiatives from SCOT?
Amal: We could successfully organize Green Xchange
H2O or GX H2O, which is an underwater clean up and
coral restoration program along the dive sites of Brunei
Darussalam. The objective of the project is to expose and
deliver awareness about the beauty of the ocean and corals in Brunei, a home to some unique species of corals,
which includes the endangered Blue Coral found in the
Pelong Rocks area. Launched in 2014, GXH2O involves a
group of volunteers who underwent an open water certification course and coral propagation course, and upon
completion, took part in a series of ocean dives, which
lasted for 7 months to clean up and restore the corals.
Horizon: How do you evaluate the waste disposal system in Oman?
Amal: I have very limited experience in Oman. I live on
campus at SQU. What I have seen among my fellow students and others at SQU is that they do not litter. Everything seems to be in shape!