MUSCAT: Currently over 15,000 Omani students are studying in different streams at various universities and institutions abroad.
Disclosing this information exclusively to Times of Oman, Dr Abdullah Mohammed Al Sarmi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Higher Education (MoHE), said these students include those who received either full or partial scholarship from the MoHE, a grant from an organisation in the private sector or privately funded students.
He said this academic year a new batch of students will start studying at various destinations such as Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United States and Austria.
With an increasing number of Omani students showing inclination for overseas education, the MoHE is offering facilities and services to students who intend to go abroad to pursue higher studies over a long time.
Students are advised to browse the MoHE website as well to liaise with the MoHE external scholarships and qualifications department to obtain a list of higher education institutes (HEIs) that are recognised by the ministry so that they do not encounter any difficulties in finding a job after completing their graduation due to a non-recognised qualification.
Popular destinations
Recently, the MoHE hosted another series of introductory sessions by international speakers for Omani students who have been granted scholarships to study abroad.
The introductory sessions were intended to acquaint the students with the respective destinations to which they headed.
It is seen that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been the favourite destination for a large segment of Omani youngsters. This is due to the fact that the UAE is just a few hours away from Oman and the sharing of culture and language make the Omani students more comfortable at places like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Al Ain.
It is further seen that for study programmes abroad, Omani students prefer streams like Islamic Law, Education and Commerce and Administrative Sciences though there are many who opt for courses other than these. Besides the UAE, the countries with English as an official language have always been among the top destinations which include the UK, Australia, the US, New Zealand and Canada.
Al Sarmi says, “The MoHE does, however, also encourage students to pursue their higher studies in other countries such as Japan, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and Austria as these countries count a substantial number of renowned and internationally recognised HEIs, while at most of these HEIs the medium of instruction is English.
“Meanwhile, at present India is the most popular international destination in Asia for Omani students, while staying in the Arab world, most students tend to go to the UAE.”
He adds, “Wherever the students may go, we do encourage them to study at renowned and recognised HEIs so that they do not face problems with their qualifications when trying to find a job after graduation”. A list of HEIs abroad that are recognised by the MoHE can be found on MoHE website www.mohe.gov.om, he added.
The right field
Choosing the right field of study is equally important to choosing the right institution in view of the need of high quality education aligned with the needs of the job market. Today, most popular fields of study are mostly science-related such as medicine, engineering, IT and business administration.
Al Sarmi notes, “The experience the students go through while studying abroad is of significant value to them. It benefits them while seeking for a job in the future. Statistics have also shown that the Sultanate is not facing a real ‘brain drain issue’ when it comes to the return of Omani students who go and study abroad, most of them return to their country and seek a job or start their own company.
© Times of Oman
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