Muscat: Sultan Qaboos Bin Saeed of Oman urged the pupils of Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) to keep pace with scientific developments to further Oman's own development.
Addressing a gathering of students and staff at the SQU, the leader of Oman affirmed the importance of science and knowledge and keeping pace with developments.
"Take what is useful and leave what is not," he advised at the opening of SQU Cultural Centre.
"We seek to invigorate your efforts to make valuable addition to this field," he said, adding that the progress achieved hitherto was nothing compared to the vast sea of knowledge.
The Sultan added that useful science was the right springboard for acquiring knowledge, expertise and skills that enabled current and future generations to contribute to the service of their homeland and society — and meet the needs of development in a guided manner.
The Sultan of Oman reiterated that science was the right springboard to acquire knowledge, expertise and skills that would help the country's present and future generations to contribute to socio-economic development.
Moral support
He also stressed that besides building public educational institutions to impart knowledge in the country, the private sector was being encouraged to participate in giving the country's young minds the best possible higher education. "We have opened the doors for private sector with financial as well as moral support," he said.
He told the teachers and students that he had been following with keen interest the march of educational sector in the country from its early stages through to the post graduate studies stage.
The Sultan said he appreciated all the sincere efforts made by those working at the different scientific institutions, especially the teaching staff and students.
"Be persistent and exert more effort to attain the prospective goal — in Allah's will," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Ali Bin Saud Al Baimani, SQU vice-chancellor, delivered a speech before His Majesty where he said that SQU Cultural Centre and the Omani Studies Centre shouldered a great responsibility: to the goals of the university, its teaching staff and students in a way that served the studies, research and different projects to ensure communication with the Omani, regional and international community.
"At Your Majesty's visit in 2000, the number of graduates since the opening of the University stood at 8541, holders of bachelor degree from the university's seven colleges.
"The number of bachelor programmes stood at 63 and the number of MA programmes stood at 29.
"After the graduation of this year, the number of bachelor, MA and PhD holders now stands at 32,526," he said.
