The joint committee between Sultan Qaboos University and Oman Telecommunications Company (Omantel) held a meeting to hear presentations from the six researchers who passed the initial evaluation of the Omantel Research Project Grant. During the meeting chaired by Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al-Mahrooqi, SQU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Postgraduate Studies and Research, the six proposals were each discussed.

The research proposals had varied topics. Five projects were selected for the Omantel Research Project Grant for 2019; two of them were from SQU’s Nanotechnology Research Center and three from the university’s Communication and Information Research Center.

The two winning projects of the Nanotechnology Research Center were Prof. Osama Abou-Zied’s project entitled, “High Sensitivity Pigments Solar Cells Built of New Modified Semiconductors: Preparation, Characterization of Photophysics, and Design of Photovoltaic Cells”, and Dr. Htet Htet Kyaw’s project, “Fabrication of Nanostructures with Magnetic and Plasmonic Properties for Optical Stimulation Applications”.

The three projects from the Communication and Information Research Center were Dr. Ashraf Ismail’s project, “Navigation System for Vision-Based Robot using Deep Learning Algorithm with Application to Robot of the National Museum of Oman”, Dr. Salim Zakri’s project, “Intelligent Urban Water Management”, and Dr. Ahmed Shehab Al-Amari’s project, “Simulator Design for Testing Micro-Network Security Systems”.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Wahaibi, Dean of  Research, Dr. Khalid Al-Balushi, Assistant Dean of Research, Prof. Abdulnasir Hossen, Director of SQU’s Communication and Information Research Center, and three Omantel representatives.