The Joint Committee between Sultan Qaboos University and the Ministry of Social Development held its fourth meeting, chaired by His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor, and Her Excellency Dr. Laila bint Ahmed Al-Najjar, Minister of Social Development, with the presence of committee members from both sides.

The committee discussed several items on the meeting agenda, including a follow-up on the implementation of recommendations from the committee’s previous meeting, as well as new proposals presented by both parties. These related to a range of joint initiatives and projects aimed at advancing social, research, and developmental work, and strengthening partnership between the two institutions in line with the goals of Oman Vision 2040. The agenda included a proposal to develop a psychological guide for supporting children exposed to violence, exploring the possibility of drawing on SQU’s expertise in delivering specialised training programmes, and involving students from the College of Education in programmes supporting persons with disabilities, thereby enhancing integration between SQU and the Ministry.

The meeting also discussed mechanisms for providing psychological and educational counselling to the wider community, in addition to a proposal to encourage Ministry staff to enrol in postgraduate programmes in the Department of Psychology as part of sustainable professional development pathways.

The committee reviewed a number of training and education proposals, including implementing a capacity-building programme in social indicator analysis and statistical skills development, as well as exploring the integration of new academic courses within SQU’s programmes to support data-informed decision-making.

In the field of studies and research, the committee examined the possibility of conducting a joint scientific study on the impact of social media on the system of values within Omani society, and a joint field study by SQU and the Ministry to assess the impact of volunteer programmes and enhance their sustainability in line with Oman Vision 2040.

The committee also discussed the potential implementation of training courses by the Centre for Community Service and Continuing Education for beneficiary families in areas of economic empowerment, such as handicrafts, e-commerce, digital skills, and micro-enterprise management. The meeting further addressed empowerment initiatives, including training programmes for beneficiary families in economic empowerment, and a proposal to establish marketing outlets on campus to support productive families.

At the conclusion of the meeting, both sides affirmed the importance of continuing joint efforts and activating the proposed initiatives to support social and research development across the Sultanate of Oman.