His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, the Vice-Chancellor, received Prof. Mehmet Naci İnci, Rector of Boğaziçi University in the Republic of Türkiye, along with the accompanying delegation, at the University Cultural Centre. The meeting was attended by a number of academics and officials from Sultan Qaboos University.
During the meeting, His Highness the Vice-Chancellor highlighted SQU’s national role as a key pillar of higher education in the Sultanate of Oman. He emphasised that the University represents a long-term national investment, having graduated successive generations of undergraduate and postgraduate students who have gone on to assume leadership roles at the national level. His Highness also provided an overview of the University’s academic standing, including its admission process, institutional rankings, and the regional and international recognition achieved by several SQU colleges.
From his side, Prof. Mehmet Naci İnci introduced Boğaziçi University, noting that English is the language of instruction in most of its departments, which enhances its appeal to international students and researchers. He explained that the university offers flexible and interdisciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across a wide range of disciplines, supported by a distinguished faculty, many of whom obtained their doctoral degrees from leading North American and European universities. Prof. İnci further noted that the university’s engineering programmes are accredited by ABET, reflecting their international recognition and quality standards.
Prof. İnci also outlined the historical background of Boğaziçi University, which traces its roots to Robert College, founded in 1863 by American educators Christopher Robert and Cyrus Hamlin as the first American college established outside the United States of America in Istanbul. In 1971, the higher education section of Robert College was transferred to the Turkish government and re-established as Boğaziçi University, a public Turkish institution, while the original Robert College continues to operate today as a private American high school.
The meeting addressed several issues of mutual interest, including the impact of market dynamics on higher education systems, and the increasing volatility influencing academic planning and workforce needs. Both sides also discussed the role of higher education in preserving identity and values, especially in light of rapid technological developments and the growing influence of artificial intelligence. The discussion further touched on the challenges facing contemporary and future generations, and the responsibility of universities in preparing graduates to respond effectively to these challenges.