Sultan Qaboos University received Her Excellency Vittoria Idrisova, Rector of the Russian Foreign Trade Academy, as part of her official visit to the Sultanate of Oman to discuss opportunities for joint cooperation between the two institutions in academic and scientific fields.

She was welcomed by Her Highness Sayyida Dr. Muna bint Fahd Al Said, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for International Cooperation, in the presence of several university officials. Her Highness extended a warm welcome to the guest and her accompanying delegation, emphasising the importance of strengthening international partnerships to facilitate the exchange of expertise and the development of academic programmes.

During the meeting, both sides discussed avenues for cooperation between SQU and the Russian Foreign Trade Academy, including education and training, academic and cultural exchange, as well as exploring collaboration in negotiation and international trade.

During the visit, Her Excellency the Rector highlighted the growing demand for learning the Arabic language in Russia, alongside other languages, underscoring the importance of enhancing cultural cooperation between the two sides in a manner that serves mutual interests.

For his part, Dr. Al Mukhtar bin Saif Al-Abri, Dean of the College of Economics and Political Science, delivered an overview of the College, outlining its academic programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He noted that international trade constitutes a core component of several specialisations, in addition to the College’s focus on developing key student skills such as negotiation.

Both sides affirmed the importance of continued coordination to explore future areas of collaboration, including student and academic exchange programmes and the organisation of joint scientific events.

It is worth noting that the Russian Foreign Trade Academy, established in 1931 in Moscow, is one of the leading educational institutions affiliated with the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. It specialises in preparing highly qualified professionals in international economics, law and management, drawing on more than 90 years of experience in supporting foreign economic activity.