Rooted in heritage, driven by discovery

As the skills agenda evolves, which capabilities matter most, and how is the University helping to lead the conversation?

The shift is profound. Technical knowledge can quickly become outdated, so the most valuable capabilities are enduring ones: learning how to learn, exercising critical judgement, collaborating effectively, reasoning ethically and having the confidence to create opportunities rather than wait for them.

Our response connects all four missions. In the classroom, AI literacy is becoming a core competency across disciplines, enabling our nursing, engineering, education and business graduates to work with intelligent systems critically and responsibly. In research, we involve undergraduates directly in laboratory work. At our Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, students contribute to projects with partners such as the University of Oxford. At the same time, young Omani researchers have undertaken training abroad, including at Université Côte d’Azur in France.

Entrepreneurship is the third strand. Through our Entrepreneurship Center, students learn to turn ideas into ventures, guided by national data produced by our own researchers. Community engagement, meanwhile, develops the empathy and civic responsibility that employers increasingly value. Structured training and internship pathways, supported by our student fund, help ensure that every graduate leaves with meaningful real-world experience.

Which regional challenges cannot be solved by universities alone, and where can partnerships make the greatest difference?

Two challenges stand out: strengthening environmental resilience, particularly water and food security in an arid climate, and creating enough high-quality jobs for a young, ambitious generation as our economies diversify. Universities can contribute knowledge and talent, but neither challenge can be addressed without government, industry and society working together.

We focus on four partnership areas. First, we work with government and regulators to align policy, funding and quality frameworks, contributing actively to national consultations on indicators, qualifications and regulation. Second, we engage industry and enterprise. In October 2024, we hosted the Middle East and North Africa Entrepreneurship Conference with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, bringing together around 80 researchers and specialists from 20 countries. Third, international academic partnerships extend our research capacity. Finally, we work closely with the community. Our health sciences colleges support local health initiatives, our researchers study the traditional falaj irrigation systems around us, and philanthropists support students through the University’s endowment initiatives. In Nizwa, the oldest local wisdom and the newest science sit side by side — and both are essential.

Where do the greatest opportunities lie for universities in the Arab region, and how can institutions realise them?

I am optimistic. Our region combines one of the world’s youngest populations with ambitious national visions, growing investment in research and innovation and an intellectual heritage rooted in a period when the region was at the forefront of global science.

The greatest opportunity is distinctiveness. Our land, seas and heritage are living laboratories. When our scientists decoded the genome of Boswellia sacra, the frankincense tree that has defined Oman for millennia, they produced research with global relevance precisely because it was rooted in our environment. Arab universities are at their strongest when they lead in areas uniquely their own.

A second opportunity is talent mobility. International students and academics are looking beyond traditional destinations, and our region can offer accredited, high-quality education in safe, welcoming and culturally rich settings. A third lies in entrepreneurial and green economies, where universities can incubate ventures that support economic diversification. To realise these opportunities, institutions must invest in rigorous quality assurance, transparent data, genuine partnerships and, above all, people.

If you could set one priority for the future of higher education, what would it be?

I would prioritise impact: universities should be judged by the difference they make to people and societies, not only by inputs and league tables. Rankings and accreditation matter, and we pursue both seriously, but they are milestones rather than destinations.

An impactful university connects its missions. Its teaching develops graduates who are capable, ethical and enterprising. Its research addresses real-world challenges. Its entrepreneurship turns knowledge into livelihoods, while its community service ensures that the benefits reach those who need them most.

That is the model the University of Nizwa was founded to embody: an institution built by the community, for the community. Twenty-two years on, that purpose remains our greatest strength. We warmly invite students, scholars and partners from around the world to join us in Nizwa and help shape the next chapter.