Oxy Oman boosts national talent with post-graduate initiatives

Oman’s continued transition into a sustainable knowledge economy is an ambitious goal. Enhancing the current pool of human capital and higher education capacity is a key to realize this. The recent publication of the “Oman Energy Master Plan 2040 — Progress Report”, showed that significant advancements have been made on encouraging more Omanis to pursue their post-graduate degrees in the country, which is one of the critical steps to establishing an enhanced R&D ecosystem in Oman.

Encouraging a higher number of PhD students to study and work in Oman is vital. They represent the intellectual value and driving force behind top-level research that addresses issues that fall within Oman’s oil, gas and renewables sector. The recent Occidental Oman Student Seminars that took place in Muscat at GUtech Oman on February 21 and Sultan Qaboos University on April 27, aimed to address this very challenge.

The dialogues gave current students access to prominent leaders of industry, academia and government, to discuss the benefits of post-graduate education and the future career opportunities that exist in Oman after obtaining Masters or PhD degrees. Panellists fielded various questions from students in attendance and shared their personal experience and passion In solving some of the Sultanate’s key challenges through applied research.

The future of energy, to a large extent, depends on today’s young generation. They are the engineers and scientists who will one day replace the industry’s baby boomers and play a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted energy supplies to the world which will continue to see demand rise over the next decades.

“Apart of our inaugural campaign for The Occidental Oman Student Awards for the Advancement of Post-graduate Education in Oman, the Student Seminars highlight our on-going efforts to support the major educational institutions and current post-graduate students throughout the Sultanate in order to qualify and prepare a new generation of scientists and industry leaders,” said Steve Kelly, President and General Manager of Occidental Oman.

It is critical to support Oman’s In Country Value (ICV) and Omanisation, especially as there is a growing sense of urgency to bolster the country’s oil and gas production while also diversifying the economy. As with all energy producers worldwide, low oil prices have put pressure on Oman’s economy. More than ever, the talent and innovative spirit of the country’s brightest minds, which is well-illustrated by The Occidental Oman Student Awards for the Advancement of Post-graduate Education, are vital to ensuring that Oman’s economy flourishes.