Preface
Oman is proud of its deep-rooted history and its cultural heritage, especially with respect to the Arabic language and Muslim religion. The Sultanate is aware of its responsibility as a member of the international community and realizes that this role means encouraging mutual understanding and developing a culture of peace and cooperation among different nations. The Sultanate supports high level academic research around the world, and seeks practical opportunities to contribute to the development of a worthy international academic heritage for the benefit of all humankind.
To achieve this aim, the Sultanate has so far established sixteen Academic Chairs and scholarships – in the name of the architect of Oman’s modern Renaissance, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said (May Allah guide and protect him). The Chairs are endowed at prestigious universities around the world that specialize in appropriate fields of knowledge including political, religious, cultural and economic studies.
The objective that is common to all the Sultan Qaboos Chairs is to encourage the creation of a contemporary global community living in peace and governed by mutual understanding and tolerance. Another major aim is to present contemporary views on how the voice of Arabs can be perceived in a more enlightened way for the sake of understanding and tolerance in this age of globalisation.
The establishment of the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chairs celebrates the contribution of the Sultanate in enhancing and developing Arabic language studies, Islamic culture, and Arab heritage, along with related spheres of study. The wise leadership of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has enabled Oman to play this leading role; and indeed, it is because of His Majesty’s patronage and care that the Sultanate has been able to regain its glory, preserve its historical heritage, and keep pace with partner nations all over the world.
Main Objectives:
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To introduce the cultural civilized role of the Sultanate in developing human knowledge
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To encourage the creation of a contemporary global community living in peace and governed by mutual understanding and tolerance
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To support and encourage academic studies and research
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To highlight the Sultanate’s role in bringing Arab and non-Arab cultures closer to each other and to support cultural interaction among different peoples to encourage cultural dialogue
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To increase world understanding of Oman’s Renaissance and its sustainable efforts in supporting Arabic language studies, heritage and culture, and scientific research.
Chairs Activities
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Activities of the Sultan Qaboos Academic Chairs include various areas of study in the scientific, religious, economic and cultural domains, including the arts and humanities. The Academic Chairs contribute to the development of academic programs as well as research and development in these fields, especially with respect to their conceptual, cultural, ethical, and religious aspects.
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In more specific terms, these activities include research in the areas of specialisation of the holders of the chairs. This includes publishing books; and organising conferences, symposiums, lectures, and forums. These activities have a positive impact on the Sultanate and reflect the virtues of Omani society. The Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE) annually invites the holders of the Chairs to visit the Sultanate for symposia where they give lectures on their research for the benefit of Oman’s academics, as well as the general public. The Symposia are designed to enhance interaction between Omani academics and their colleagues around the world.
Supervision and Follow-up
The MOHE has direct supervision over Seven of the Chairs, namely:
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair in Desert Farming, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain
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The Sultan of Oman Chair for Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia
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The Sultan of Oman Chair of Oriental Studies, Leiden University, the Netherlands
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Tokyo, Japan
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The Sultan Qaboos Chair of Quantitative Water Management, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
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The sultan Qaboos bin Said Professorship for Abrahamic Regions and Shared Values at the University of Cambridge - United Kingdom .
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The Sultan Qaboos Chair for Middle East Studies and the College of William and Mary, USA
Responsibility for supervising the remaining Chairs lies with other authorities including HM’s Advisor at the Foreign Communications Affairs’ Office; HM’s Advisor for Cultural Affairs’ Office; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Iftaa’ Office at the Ministry of Awqaaf and Religious Affairs and Sultan Qaboos University.
In order to follow-up and report on affairs and activities related to the Academic Chairs, a Committee of all authorities supervising the Chairs was formed, chaired by the MoHE. Members of this Committee are entitled to visit the universities where the Chairs are established. In addition, the Committee is mandated to consider the establishment of new Academic Chairs and make recommendations in this regard.
HM Chairs
At present, there are (16) academic chairs carrying the name of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos at a number of international universities. The Chairs are listed below, in the order of their establishment.
For more information about HM Chairs please click here.
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Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professorship in Arabic and Islamic Literature, Georgetown University, United States of America (USA) the Chair was founded in1980.
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The Sultan of Oman Professorship in International Relations, Harvard University, USA the Chair was founded in 2003 .
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Sultan of Oman Professorship in Arabic Language, Georgetown University, USA the Chair was founded in1993.
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Sultan Qaboos Chair for Middle East Studies and the College of William and Mary, USA the chair was founded in2011.
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Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair in Desert Farming, Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain the Chair was founded 1994 .
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The Sultanate of Oman Chair (Oman Studies Unit), Al Bait University, Jordan the Chair was founded 1997.
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The Sultan of Oman Chair for Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Melbourne, Australia the Chair was founded 2003 .
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The Sultan of Oman Fellowship for Islamic Studies, Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Oxford University, United Kingdom the Chair was founded 2004 .
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professorship of Modern Arabic Studies, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom the Chair was founded 2005 .
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Professorship for Abrahamic Regions and Shared Values at the University of Cambridge - United Kingdom the Chair was founded 2011.
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The Sultan Qaboos Information Technology Chair, The University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan the Chair was founded 2004 .
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The Oman Information Technology Chair, NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan the Chair was founded 2004 .
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The Sultan Qaboos Chair of Quantitative Water Management, Utrecht University, the Netherlands the Chair was founded 2005.
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The Sultan of Oman Chair of Oriental Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands the Chair was founded 2008 .
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair of Arabic Studies, Peking University, China the Chair was founded 2007 .
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The Sultan Qaboos bin Said Chair in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Tokyo, Japan the Chair was founded 2010 .
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