Straight Talk
Christopher Small
tion of 2 meters that date back to year 2000. We also collect field
observations at Barr Al Hikman by spending several days there,
acquiring ground observation data to study surface properties of
the tidal flats and the abundance or scarcity of the seagrass in the
course of time. We compare the data from the field observations
with the satellite images in order to establish connection between
what is seen in the field and what is conveyed by satellite images.
Horizon: How would you correlate geophysics and remote sensing, which are apparently two different fields?
Small: Recent advances in remote sensing now provide us with
synoptic views of Earth’s land surface. Remotely sensed observations also allow us to quantify the spatial and temporal dynamics of
the Earth system. Quantifying these dynamics is the first step toward understanding them. Geophysics provides powerful tools and
concepts that can be used to quantify and understand the dynamics
of the Earth system. My research interests focus on the application
of geophysics, remote sensing and spatio-temporal analysis to the
study of the Earth system. Remotely sensed observations provide
a necessary synoptic complement to field measurements. Similarly,
field validation is necessary to calibrate remotely sensed measurements. Field validation also provides justification for travel.
Christopher Small is a research professor of geophysics at the
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and an adjunct professor
in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University in
the City of New York. His fields of research are geophysics; land
surface processes, remote sensing; population and environment.
Horizon: What is the purpose of your visit to Oman and SQU in particular?
Small: I am collaborating with Dr. Andy Kwarteng from the Remote
Sensing & GIS Centre at SQU, who is carrying out a study that looks
into the changes in the ecosystem of Barr Al Hikman area in Al Wusta,
Oman. The study is investigating the relationship between crab plovers, crabs and the seagrass in an attempt to study the whole ecosystem
of the ecologically significant and fragile area. We depend on satellite
images to analyze the changes in the seagrass distribution in the last
couple of decades caused by anthropogenic and other factors. Satellite
images are used to compare the spectral signatures of the Barr Al Hikman area to see if there are changes in the infrared color of the tidal
flats. For this, we are using images provided by the Landsat satellites
which acquire regular images over the same place with a spatial resolution of 30 meters. The Landsat series provides records of land surface
properties which dateback to 1980s. At the same time, we are using
detailed images provided by commercial sensors with a spatial resolu-
30 May 2015
Horizon: Can you explain about your research in urban growth
mapping?
Small: Since coming to Columbia in 1993, my interest in the Earth
system has expanded to include its biospheric components. My current research interests center on the use of satellite remote sensing
to quantify changes in Earth’s surface and the causes and consequences of these changes. These interests have recently taken me to
the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, , the Ethiopian highlands, the Gobi
Desert, the Peruvian Andes.
Horizon: Can you share your observations from your experience
in urban growth mapping using spatial images?
Small: The development of the areas of the world including cities,
towns or even small settlements in the deserts or isolated areas are
now most accurately represented as spatial networks. The areas
where people live are interconnected with the surrounding areas.
It is not just roads that connect different settlements on the Earth.
The structure of networks of communities or settlements follows a
particular geometric pattern all over the world though visually they
may see very different. Mathematically these structures are similar
everywhere in the world. The spatial observation of the networking or the pattern of human settlements on the Earth and the interconnectivity may help us make predictions about how the network
may grow in future. The spatial network view of human settlements
is totally different from what we see in a traditional map, which
shows places like scattered points. It gives us a better understanding of the world. When we think about interconnectivity of human
settlements on the Earth, we should consider both the spatial and
temporal structures, flow of communication (mobile communication and the internet), and demographic information to have a better
understanding of how human beings and environments function.
Linguistic Diversity in the Language Classroom
Panorama
Applying Expert System Technology in Zakat Field
Mind Over Matter
AIAP Launched
News Update
The Thrill of Being
an Entrepreneur
Department of Public
Relations and Information
Sultan Qaboos University
Issue 317
View Point
Two Sides of the
Same Coin
Mohamed Salem Al Ghailani
Editorial Supervision
Santhosh Muthalath
Senior Editor
Sara Al Gheilani
Nasebah Al Muharrami
Translation
Ibrahim Al Hajri
Design & Layout
Photography Dept., CET
Photography
Salim Al Sudairi
Circulation
SQU-info
Academics may at times feel the attractions of teaching and research as opposing
forces. They are required to devote considerable time doing research, having own
publications and giving presentations, as a part of their own desire to advance in
their own fields, and for promotion prospects. At the same time, teaching is one of
the primary obligations as a scholar. Striking the right balance is often challenging
in academic career. It is worth realizing that teaching and research as two elements
that complement each other. For instance, designing a course outline and syllabus
uses many of the same skills as putting together a literature review or grant proposal. Both teaching and research help an academician to develop insight into his
field, refine communication skills, and draw on his ability to select and organize
content in a meaningful way.
In an effort to establish a balance between teaching and research, one can consider
inviting colleagues to give guest lectures on their areas of expertise, and volunteer
to do the same for them will give the chance to practice speaking about one’s research to a non-expert audience. An academic’s research program can also enrich
his classes. A good academic uses current research perspectives, paradigms, and debates in the classroom to show that knowledge is contested and growing, rather than
accepted fact. Introducing generic and subject-specific research skills and scholarly
activities into course assignments, including literature review, experiment design,
peer review, book review, conference paper presentation, and grant application, will
help both the teacher and those students who wish to excel in research. A teacher
can consider inviting his students into the research community in small ways by
requiring them to join scholarly email lists or discussion boards, use online conference proceedings as resources for class assignments, or attend departmental talks.
A good teacher cum researcher uses his classroom as a pool of potential research
assistants and reward those students who contribute to a research program. Undergraduates and postgraduates often bring enthusiasm, time, and a fresh perspective
to research work of their teachers. There is always the possibility that questions
that come up in class will inspire new directions for a faculty members’ research.
Teaching and research are the two sides of the same coin: students benefit from the
teacher’s research and the teacher benefits from studnts’ ideas, input and feedback.
@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 May 2015
P2
Fax: +968 24413 391
Website: www.squ.edu.om
Panorama
Linguistic Diversity in the
Language Classroom
By: Neil Mcbeath
Language Centre, SQU
The title of this paper comes directly from a presentation at the 2015 TESOL Arabia Conference (McGrath 2015). It was a presentation that offered far more than it
delivered, being based on a misconception of the role played by minority, or in this
case, heritage languages in both Omani society and in higher education.
Paradoxically, McGrath’s paper suggested that the use of minority languages somehow threatened the established order. This approach has a long, but dishonourable,
history. In 1916, even before America’s entry to the First World war, the Governor
of Iowa decreed that “henceforth it would be a crime to speak any foreign languages
in schools, in church or even over the telephone”. In the 1930s, alarmed by the possibility of labour unrest, the police chief of Toronto made it illegal to conduct public
meetings in any language other than English. In the same period, in Scotland and
Wales, monolingual children who spoke Scots Gaelic or Welsh were often beaten
at school for failing to use the language that they were still learning, and the same
sanctions were applied against Spanish speaking students in California until the late
1960s. No one appeared to find it ironic that these beatings occurred in places called
Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Barbara and La Ciudad de Nuestra
Senora de los Angeles.
In that respect, of course, Jibbali is no different from Mehri , or from the Shuhi
spoken in the Musandam Peninsula. At school, however, the speakers of all three
languages develop the ability to code-switch from their heritage language to Arabic, depending on the context of the situation. At university level, therefore, when
faced with the use English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI), they have already
developed a level of linguistic facility that can be deployed to assist their learning
process, and it is entirely possible that they are operating at a higher level of sophistication than that available to monolinguals.
This much can be evidenced from Moon who tells the story of a member of the
Hopi nation who he met in Utah. The lands of the Hopi nation are surrounded by the
Navajo Reservation, so this young man was literally a member of a small minority,
within another, larger, minority. He was, however, studying chemistry at the Southern Utah State College, with the ultimate aim of becoming a physician and appeared
In Oman, however, multilingualism has always been embraced. In the earliest years
of His Majesty’s reign, the most pressing need of the Sultanate was to remove the
threat of Marxist guerillas in Dhofar. To that end, it was imperative that Jibbali and
Mehri speakers be offered a role, and both Jeapes and Gardiner pay tribute to the
signal services of the Dhofari Firqat Forces. In the development that followed 1975,
moreover, the speakers of those heritage languages continued to play a full part.
It was with some surprise, therefore, that I heard McGrath announce that, prior to
her appointment at Dhofar University, she had been unaware that Dhofaris spoke
anything but Arabic. I became even more incredulous when she announced that
“Jibbali is the majority language of the students at Dhofar University”. The first is
an admission of ignorance. The second is simply untrue.
Taking these points in turn, what makes people with such gaps in their knowledge
apply for teaching positions in the Arab Gulf? Many teachers in the tertiary sector
criticize their students’ inability to conduct research, but it would appear that they
may have colleagues who are equally incapable.
It is not, after all, as if the evidence is hard to find. There is a Wikipedia entry for
Jibbali, and Johnson’s Jibbali Lexicon has been available for years. More recently,
moreover, Rubin extended that work. By using Johnson’s unpublished field-notes,
and by liaising with Jibbali-speaking informants (most of whom were studying in
the USA) he produced a full description of the language. This study now complements his earlier work on Mehri.
With regard to the second assertion, no data were advanced in support of this statement, and no data exist that could support it. Anyone who has visited Salalah will
have realized that the language of administration, commerce and education is Arabic. In 1993, it was estimated that there were some 25,000 Jibbali speakers in
the whole of Dhofar, but in the intervening years some of the older, monolingual,
speakers of the language must have died. They have been replaced by a generation
who are best described as fluent bilinguals. For admission to Dhofar University, the
Sultan Qaboos University, or to the Sultan’s Armed Forces, that generation has had
to matriculate from schools run by the Omani Ministry of Education, where they
were taught in Arabic. As Morris reminds us, Jibbali has no written form.
to see no reason why he should not graduate.
If this were the case in the late 20th century, why should anyone now believe that the
ability to speak two languages is somehow an impediment? Why do monolingual
teachers persist in the myth that “interference” is an insuperable barrier to learning?
Phillipson would have us believe that it is the result of “linguistic imperialism”, but
the truth is more prosaic. Teachers like McGrath are ignorant. Coming from societies where monolingualism is normal, they have no understanding of the benefits
of linguistic diversity. Having done little or no research, they fail to understand the
complexity of their new host societies, and they tailor their observations to suit their
preconceptions. The danger is that these “false truths” may go unchallenged. Hence
this paper.
(References are available from the author. Neil Mcbeath can be contacted at the
following email address: nmcbeath@squ.edu.om).
P7
30 May 2015
News Round Up
Book Focuses on Biofouling
Methods
Biofouling is referred to undesirable attachment and growth of organisms
to submerged industrial applications. These organisms can be divided on
microscopic (microfouling) and macroscopic (macrofouling). Biofouling
has a huge economic impact on maritime industries. In order to manage
and prevent marine biofouling worldwide countries spent more than $15
billion for desalination system and power plants and $7 billion for shipping industries. Biofouling clogs aquaculture nets, water intakes and heat
exchangers, and reduces ship hull performance. Biofouling increases corrosion, shear stress and drag, eventually leading to higher fuel consumption and increased production of carbon dioxide and carbon particulates
that contribute to climate change. In the Sultanate of Oman biofouling has
severe impacts on performance of desalination plants, ships and fishermen nets and cages. Many research institutions intensively work on the
development of methods to study and prevent biofouling.
Dr. Sergey Dobretsov, the Head of the Department of Marine Science and
Fisheries, College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences, SQU, is one of
the leading scientists in the field of biofouling. Recently he completed a
research project funded by His Majesty’s Strategic Research Trust Fund,
in which he and his research team, for the first time, investigated biofouling in Oman waters and proposed some effective measures to prevent
biofouling.
In late 2014, a prestigious publisher Wiley-Blackwell released the book
“Biofouling methods”, co-authored by Dr. Sergey Dobretsov. While,
several biofouling books have been published recently, this is the first
book that explains and standardizes methods used in this field. “Biofouling Methods” provides a “cook book” for both established workers and
those new to the field of biofouling. In this book, Dr. Dobretsov contributed the parts dealing with techniques to study microfouling. He included
new, cutting edge and old techniques that he tried and tested, while he
has been studying biofouling in Oman waters. Another author from SQU,
Dr. Raeid Abed, Department of Biology, College of Science, wrote a few
chapters together with Dr. Dobretsov.
The “Biofouling Methods” book encompasses the full diversity of methods in this multidisciplinary field. The book covers methods for microfouling and macrofouling, coatings and biocides, and ranges from
methods for fundamental studies to methods relevant for industrial applications. There is an emphasis on answering questions and each chapter
provides technical methods and problem-solving hints and tips. Biofouling methods book is the essential methodology reference in the field for
all those working in the antifouling industry including those involved in
formulation of antifouling products, such as paints and other coatings.
Aquatic biologists, ecologists, environmental scientists and lawyers, marine engineers, aquaculture personnel, chemists, and medical researchers
will all find much of interest within this book.
30 May 2015
P6
Soils Science Students
Conduct Field Trips
For Soil Science students, field trips are useful to acquire skills and knowledge
about soil characteristics closely and translate what they studied to the reality. Such
trips enhance scientific information possessed by students being dealt directly with
a specialty field. The students from the Department of Soils, Water & Agricultural
Engineering of the College of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at SQU participated
in a number of field trips during the current academic year. They visited places
including Al Seeb, Barka, Nakhal, and Al Awabi. The tours were supervised by
Dr.Said Al Ismaily, Hamed Al-Busaidi and Rahma Al-Habsia. The objectives
were to study soils and the factors that can affect its formation and development.
During the trips, the students collected information on the physical and chemical
properties of various soils. Soils were classified based on soil taxonomy as a standard used world-wide. They also conducted studies on irrigation systems with two
wadies Wadi Bani Kharus and Wadi Mistal to evaluate their efficiency and to give
solution to optimal management.
The students also visited a farm in Al Hail, Al-Seeb in Muscat Governorate, and
evaluated the suitability of the farm for cultivation and gave recommendations
to obtain higher yield .The farm area was around 2400 square metres and it contained approximately 288 date palms and almost half of the farm, barley crop was
cultivated. The study showed that the soil was loamy sand on texture, this texture
class had low ability to retain nutrients and store water. Soil fertility analyses were
conducted under the guidance of Dr. Baby Shaharoona. Nutrients concentration
such as nitrate, manganese, and iron were low due to high infiltration rate related to
loamy sandy texture. The experiments showed high concentration of phosphorus
and potassium due to application of the fertilizers(animal manure). Humus concentration was also low, which this related to the characteristics of arid, semi -arid
region with low rate of decomposition of organic matter due to low precipitation .
Students Attend NASA
Education Program
As part of the cooperation between the SQU and different stakeholder institutions,
a group of SQU students participated in the international student environmental
GLOBE camp organized by the Ministry of Education for students from six countries Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Bahrain and Pakistan. More than 300
students and teachers participated in the camp in Yitti beach, Muscat recently.
The MoE of Oman hosted this international GLOBE event in Muscat this year.
GLOBE stand for Global Learning and Observation to Benefit Environment initiated by NASA. Over 110 member countries are participating in this international
network. The students of GLOBE schools in these countries collect environmental
data, share and exchange in a global platform, interact, discuss and learn from
each other. The initiative was aimed to inculcate research interest in the minds of
the school students at the young age. SQU participated in the GLOBE camp in a
panel discussion of the three day event lead by Ahmed Al Rubaie and Hamed Al
Batashi, two master students in environmental science and Dr. Hameed Sulaiman
who moderated discussion with 300 GLOBE students and teachers.
News Update
AIAP Launched
The Academic Innovation Assistance Program (AIAP) at SQU was officially launched on 21 May 2015 under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Hilal
Ali Al Hinai, Secretary General of the Research Council (TRC) and in
the presence of H.E. Dr. Ali bin Saud Al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor
of SQU and other officials from TRC and SQU. AIAP is an offshoot of
the Innovation Hub Project designed by TRC to drive innovation at academic institutes in Oman. SQU hosts the first program and its outcome
shall aid an introduction of similar programs in other higher academic
institutions.
The AIAP provides awareness and knowledge transfer; conduct awareness campaigns about the program; conduct creative awareness seminars and workshops about innovation, intellectual property, patent,
technology transfer and commercialization, and relevant topics to innovation; conduct innovation competitions; and introduce new courses
in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Commenting on the Academic Innovation Assistance Program at SQU,
which started its activities two years back, H.E. Dr. Hilal Al Hinai said:
“SQU, through this program, has established a sound infrastructure using the latest scientific methods to promote the innovations resulting
from the works of academics, student innovators and other researchers.
AIAP at SQU is the pilot project and we hope to expand this service to
other academic institutions in the country for inculcating the culture of
innovation in the community”.
SQU Professor Wins
Austrian Energy Award
A professor from the College of Engineering at SQU has made her country proud by winning a coveted title
for best environment sustainability
award for her project of making use
of the fog water in Dhofar region
for productive purposes. Prof. Sabah
Ahmed Abdul Wahab al Sulaiman,
Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering has been chosen by the Austrian
government for this year’s National
Energy Globe Award Oman from as
many as 1,500 papers from more than
170 countries.
The Energy Globe Award is said to
be today’s most prestigious environmental prize worldwide. It distinguishes
projects regionally, nationally and globally that conserve resources such as
energy or utilise renewable or emission-free sources. Initiated by Austrian
engineer and environmentalist Wolfgang Neumann, the status of the Award
often equates it to Nobel Prize. The aim of the Energy Globe is to raise global
attention on sustainable, with universal applicability on environmental solutions and to motivate people to also become active in this area. “It was
surprise for me and am very happy that the award came to the Sultanate for
our efforts in exploring sustainable projects for environment protection and
conservation,” an elated Prof Sabah said.
Workshop Sheds light on CFD
Dr. Salim Al Harthi, Co-Director of AIAP at SQU said that the program
is already delivering an elective course called introduction to innovation
and entrepreneurship, and delivering workshops on innovative teaching
and learning technologies. “AIAP provides workshops for the development of research and innovative skills and specialized training for staff
of Innovation & Entrepreneurship Department in the area of innovation
and technology transfer management systems”, he said.
Dr. Al Harthi added that the AIAP will provide funding up to OMR
50,000 for potential innovative proposals. “Funding includes conducting exploratory research, purchase equipment, develop a prototype, etc.
If the project requires special technical assistance, the AIAP will find a
proper SQU faculty or technician to work with the idea provider”, he
added. For innovations that can be turned into business projects, the
AIAP will provide advice on drafting a business plan and connect the
idea or the project provider to existing funding programs such as, Rafud
fund, Sharaka and others. The AIAP is working closely with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department at SQU. There is multi- disciplinary support team from different SQU units to support AIAP’s activities. Dr. Salim Al Harthi said that AIAP take this opportunity to invite
students, academic staff and administrators to benefit from the services
of the Program.
The Department of Soils, Water & Agricultural Engineering of the College
of Agricultural & Marine Sciences at SQU, recently organized a workshop
on “computational fluid dynamics (CFD) delivered by Prof. Shamil Zaripov
from Kazan Federal University, Russia. Dr. Yassin Ahmed Mullah, Associate Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Agriculture Engineering, who
coordinated the workshop, said that the purpose of the workshop was to keep
up to date with the technological developments, as well as to develop the required skills in the field for academics, technicians and postgraduate students.
CFD uses numerical methods to solve the fundamental nonlinear differential
equations that describe fluid for predefined geometries and boundary conditions. CFD has seen dramatic growth over the last several decades. This
technology has widely been applied to various engineering applications such
as automobile and aircraft design, weather science, civil engineering, and
oceanography.
P3
30 May 2015
Insight
The Thrill of Being
an Entrepreneur
Mohammed Bouzganda is of the view that one should think of how to improve the lives of others though your inputs, which will give you the real
satisfaction. Samua Al Aufii, one of the students observed: “This outlook
of Mohammed made me realize that the real entrepreneurs should actually
start with the end in mind because that is what will count when we are not
in this world any more. I was inspired by Mohammed’s advice of believing
in my dreams because everyone can do his part to create a better world. I
should add value to the society and plan accordingly. Fear of not being successful is the biggest barrier that may stop me from becoming who I want
to be in the future. Therefore I should be confident and try my best because
without trying I will never discover my true potentials”.
Mohammed Bouzganda
Ammar Al Sudairi
Entrepreneurship is the capacity to not only to start companies but also
to think creatively and ambitiously. Teaching students about startups and
small business inside a classroom prepares them for life. Students learn
about brainstorming ideas, setting goals, and indulging their individuality
while learning to cooperate with others. Bringing successful entrepreneurs
to classrooms helps students learn more the real life experience of being
an entrepreneur. With their practical experience, successful entrepreneurs
serve as invaluable mentors to new business founders. They have actually
walked the walk and created thriving businesses from scratch. Dr. Topoyame Moremong-Nganunu, a faculty in the College of Economics & Political
Sciences at SQU, is keen to bring young and successful entrepreneurs to
share their experience with her students who study the course “Management of Small and Family Business”.
“Each semester, I invite speakers to my classes. This is important as it enhances the material that I cover in class. I bring in guest speakers because
“They tell it like it really is” and it is always more interesting when the
information comes from the “Horse’s Mouth”. This semester I brought two
young Omani entrepreneurs to my Management of Small and Family Business class. The two young entrepreneurs shared their stories; their experiences of risk, passion, failure and success. This added a real-life dimension
to class. Connecting students to the real world has always been an invaluable experience to both students and me”, Dr. Topoyame said.
Two young entrepreneurs Mohammed Bouzganda, the Managing Director of Bouzganda IT Solutions, and Ammar Salim Humaid Al Sudairi, the
Managing Director of Technology Approach, shared their entrepreneurial
experience with SQU students. Both speakers started from Injaz Oman
Sharikati competition and continued their passion for business even after
the competition. They are both in their mid-20s. Their participation in
Injaz Oman competition was an opportunity to start their own businesses
from scratch. Ammar is one of Dr. Topoyame’s final year students. He is
graduating this year. He has been studying and running his business at the
same time.
Subsequent to the talks by the two entrepreneurs, Dr. Topoyame insisted
her students to come up with reflective essays on what they learned from
the experiences of the two guest speakers. The students listed the valuable
lessons they learned from the entrepreneurs. Mohammed Bouzganda was
inspired by his grandmother who always encouraged him to do something
worthy in life that can make some difference in the lives of people and
change the world. He articulated the view that all inventions and new enterprises should contribute to specific requirements of the society, help to save
some problems or fill the gaps. “We should have big dreams and should
never fear the risk of failure or uncertainty because that itself will make us
stop from trying”. Mohammed emphasized the importance of legacy. “We
should be thinking about ways to make this world a better place rather than
gain money from business because money goes after you die but the legacy
that you leave behind will last”.
30 May 2015
P4
Ammar Al Sudairi was a management student at SQU who started business
while he was still a student. His team participated in Injaz Oman Sharikati
competition, but there was conflict among his team members on the business idea. When Ammar was outside Oman, he was staying in a hotel and
he needed to charge his mobile phone but he could not because the socket
did not suite his charger. He was inspired by this and started thinking about
finding a solution to this problem. Hence he got an idea to start a business
of producing on it. When Ammar came back to Oman, more than a half of
his team members had quitted the Sharikati competition, but this did not
stop him. He found new members and completed the contest but they did
not win. But this did not stop him from his pursuits to be a successful business man. While manufacturing sockets in large scale, he faced challenges
in finding a factory to produce large volumes of the product. Ultimately,
due to will power, hard work and perseverance, he could overcome the
challenges and become successful in the business.
About Ammar’s success, Farah Al Kasbi, one of Dr. Topoyame’s students,
commented: “Though Ammar has faced many challenges in initiating the
business till the commercial production of sockets, he continued his hard
work, taking risks without the fear of failure. He also attempted to renew
the product to meet the changes in the market and in order to satisfy the
customers”. Zahra Al Sawafi, another student noted: “Ammar got his business idea from his own need. Every problem has a solution and whoever
wants to start a business and be an entrepreneur should never give up. There
are a lot of opportunities in Oman for new ventures and people should start
thinking and work to get the best and be successful for the progress and
prosperity of the country”.
Mind Over Matter
Applying Expert System Technology
in Zakat Field
By: Dr. Kamla Ali Al-Busaidi
Associate Professor
Information Systems Department
College of Economics & Political Science
Expert System (ES) technology is an applied artificial intelligence: the science that
enables computer technology, such as ES, to perform tasks that require intelligence
when performed by humans. ES or rules-based system applies human experts’
knowledge in IF-THEN form to a computerized system. ES, as a knowledge-based
system, consists mainly of the user interface and the intelligent program, which is
the part that solves the user’s problem by applying the stored knowledge. There
are numerous benefits of expert systems; such benefits are improved decision making process, quality and time and capturing scarce expertise. ES can be applied to
support decision making in several domains such as health, engineering, science,
agriculture, management, human resources, finance, accounting and others.
This article presents the application of ES in an important Islamic field: Zakat.
The Zakat ES prototype project is conducted by a group of business students (Afaf
Al-Riyami, Asma Al-Harth and Khadija Al-Amri,) under my supervision, and published in the 15th European Conference of Knowledge Management. An ES supports the decision making in many domains such as Zakat. Zakat is the amount of
money that every mentally stable adult and every financially able Muslim, male and
female, has to pay at the end of the Hijri year in order to support specific categories
of needy people. Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam. The word Zakat means
purification and growth. Zakat purifies the giver’s soul and brings him/her closer to
Allah, while on the other hand it generates in him/her feelings of love, brotherhood,
and generosity towards humanity. There are different types of Zakat with different
rules and calculations. These Zakat types include cash Zakat, silver and gold Zakat,
securities Zakat, debt Zakat, cattle Zakat, crops Zakat, and items set for sale Zakat.
The objective of this study is to apply expert system technology in the field of Zakat
to assist Muslims in the decision making of identifying the rules of making Zakat
and to assist in complex calculations. The development of an expert system can be
beneficial in well-established theory domains such as Zakat. Thus, the objective
of the Zakat ES is to specifically help people calculate the amount of each type of
Zakat they have to pay every year. The system helps users to: (1) determine if they
are required to give Zakat, (2) determine the unique conditions, and the amount of
each type of Zakat they have to pay every year.
The Zakat prototype system was developed based on a free rules-based expert system shell. To develop such a system, knowledge that is acquired from a human expert is represented in the form of rules, such as IF-THEN statements. The developed
Zakat ES prototype includes around 90 rules, and 28 different types of prompts
(questions asked to users) related to different types of zakat calculations. These
rules are used by the inference engine component of the ES technology to perform
the reasoning process by that lead into achieving certain goals and consequently
support decision making. This Zakat knowledge was acquired through several interviews with two human domain experts who specialize in the Zakat field. The
knowledge acquisition process also benefited from well-established books in the
Zakat area such as AlMutamid in Zakat and Fasting Jurisprudence by AlMawali
(2011), and Zakat Accounting by AlKhateeb (2005).
After developing the Zakat ES, the system was experimented and evaluated by
some domain experts and potential users. After reviewing the Zakat expert system,
the majority of the 20 potential users also indicated that the developed system offered several benefits. They indicated that the system saves time and efforts in
searching for Zakat calculation rules and consultancy, and were satisfied with it.
Users also indicated that it was very useful for calculating Zakat quickly and accurately, and is very beneficial, relevant, convenient, and easy to use for people
who have no knowledge about Zakat. Other strengths of the system were that it is
more convenient than going to human experts and provides a variety of Zakat types,
and explains the logic of reaching the answers. They, however, indicated that it is
critical that the system to be developed in Arabic language, and to be supported in
mobile devices and identify the source of the knowledge, and ensure the accuracy
of knowledge.
Even though several development rounds is needed to finalize the accuracy, completeness and usability of Zakat expert system, this developed Zakat expert system
prototype illustrated the use of a free-ware expert system shell can benefit individuals in calculating Zakat amounts. This Zakat prototype ES project illustrated
that the application of expert system technology adds values in Zakat calculations,
decision making and eventually services for individuals, and hopefully for organizations. The developed expert system offers the calculation of different types of
Zakat; the user has the freedom of choice, either one type or as much as he/she
desires to calculate in an understandable and clear manner. This system makes it
easier for individuals to calculate Zakat without any prior Zakat knowledge, and
most importantly the system will increase awareness of Zakat obligation and its
rules among Muslims. P5
30 May 2015