Under the patronage of His Excellency Sultan bin Salim Al Habsi, Minister of Finance, Sultan Qaboos University will mark the Silver Jubilee of its annual day on Monday, 5 May 2025. This occasion commemorates the 25th anniversary of the historic visit of the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur to the University, which took place on 2 May 2000 and is celebrated each year as SQU Day. Dr. Ghazi bin Ali Al-Rawas, Dean of Research, stated:
"This year, we celebrate the Silver Jubilee of SQU Day in honour of the historic visit of the founder of this University, the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimur in May 2000. That visit marked the launch of the Royal Grant for Strategic Research. Over the past 25 years, we are proud to have completed nearly 4,500 research projects and consultancy assignments with a total value of 78 million Omani rials. Of these, 136 projects have benefited from this Royal Grant, which continues to be supported during the reign of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. From our position today, we are committed to continuing this journey and embracing progress. During the SQU Day ceremony, we will announce more pioneering research projects across various fields.”
The event programme includes a speech by the administration, a documentary on the history of the Royal Grant for Strategic Research, the SQU Day film, and a presentation highlighting SQU’s achievements in research and postgraduate studies. The winning projects funded by the Royal Grant will also be announced, and an accompanying exhibition will be inaugurated.
Coinciding with the SQU Day celebrations, the International Conference on Scientific Research Management will also be held under the title “Scientific Research and Sustainability: A Vision for Change.” The conference aims to explore ways to ensure the sustainability of research at institutional, national, and international levels. It will focus on sustainable funding strategies, the strengthening of research partnerships between academic, industrial, and governmental sectors, capacity-building, and the use of modern technologies to sustain and effectively disseminate scientific output.
The conference will also address the mechanisms for measuring the impact of scientific research by presenting analytical tools and indicators that help assess the real societal, economic, and environmental value of scientific work. Successful models and case studies will be showcased to guide future research efforts in meeting community needs and advancing sustainable development.
This conference will serve as a scientific platform that brings together researchers, decision-makers, and practitioners from various sectors, with the aim of exchanging ideas and experiences and enhancing research collaboration in support of sustainable strategies for impactful scientific research at both the local and international levels.