Oman Tourism College signs pact with American university

MUSCAT: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the Oman Tourism College with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) to facilitate academic collaboration.

Chartered in 1869, UNL is a comprehensive public land-grant university, ranked as a Carnegie Research 1 institution. Oman is one of the eight priority countries identified by UNL for international engagement.

The MoU establishes a general partnership between the institutions to facilitate collaborations in following academic activities: teaching, research, student ex- change, faculty exchange, technology transfer, publication, curriculum development, joint projects and training.

Dr. Abdulkarim Sultan Al Mughairi, dean of Oman Tourism College, signed the MoU and noted that “Developing mutually beneficial collaborations with academic and industry partners are vital in achieving the College’s mission of supporting Oman’s tourism industry.”

University of Nebraska-Lincoln was represented by a delegation led by Dr. Timothy Carr, chairperson of the Department of Nutrition and Health Sciences, who handed over the document signed by UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman.

Chancellor Perlman on an earlier visit to the College had said, “Our students and faculty will benefit from the educational opportunities, professional development activities, and joint programme development initiatives we envision to enhance capacity at both institutions.”

Since 2013, UNL has hosted Omani students sponsored by His Majesty the Sultan Scholarship Programme.

Currently, there are approximately 120 students studying in UNL. The students have formed an Omani student organisation with the goal of helping other UNL students to learn more about Oman and its culture.