The Communication and Information Research Centre has recently organised the second scientific forum for research projects funded through grants from Omantel. This forum provided an ideal platform for the exchange of knowledge among researchers, students, and enthusiasts, while also fostering stronger partnerships between academia and industry.
The collaboration between SQU and Omantel aims to promote applied research, encourage innovation, and optimise the use of communication, information technologies, and artificial intelligence.
In its second edition, the forum spotlighted six research projects, showcasing key outcomes and achievements. Among these were two notable studies funded over a two-academic-year period. One project, led by a research team from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, and the Medical Research Centre, focused on the development of two innovative healthcare applications.
The REEM application delivers digital psychological and cognitive assessments using artificial intelligence to reduce patient waiting times and ease the workload on medical staff in the mental health care department. The second application, Ai Life, monitors the lifestyles of patients recovering from Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS) in order to reduce the risk of relapse.
Another featured project, led by Dr. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Saadi, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering at the College of Engineering and Director of the Sustainable Energy Research Centre, aimed to develop a dynamic and decentralised pricing mechanism for electricity trading between producers and consumers. The project’s achievements include the development of a real-time peer-to-peer energy trading prototype and the creation of multiple applications in fields such as electric vehicle charging, agricultural energy networks, and smart contracts. The project also contributed to national capacity-building through the training of three Omani researchers and the establishment of international research partnerships.
The Centre for Communication and Information Research extends its sincere thanks and appreciation to Omantel for their continued support of applied research projects at the university. We wish all researchers continued success and progress in their endeavours.