MAY 2016 VOLUME 5 ISSUE 5

The Electronic Newsletter of the Gulf College

The event was culminated

through the initiatives of the

Centre for Language and Cul-

tural Studies (CLCS) Advisers

and Managers Mr. Masood

Khan, Ms. Aisha Ghazi

Haider, and Dr. Irene Pineda

Villareal, as well as the Secre-

tary to the Ambassador Ms.

Catherine D. Sabbahg, and

the Secretary of the Ambas-

sador Ms. Isabel Maicas

Roda.

Dean Prof. Dr. Taki discussed

the offered courses (Page 2)

Gulf College continues to pursue invaluable academic ties

with acclaimed universities from around the world, as GC

Dean Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani conferred with Ambassador

of Spain to Oman, His Excellency Juan Jose Urtasun Erro, at

the Spanish Embassy in Shatti Al Qurum to promote the sig-

nificance of Spanish language and culture.

GC adulates Iran Ambassador His Excellency Mr. Ali Akbar Sibeveih

FERVENT. Chairman of the Board of Directors and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Dr. Issa Al Bulushi and Dean Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani welcome H.E. Mr. Ali Akbar Sibeveih, Ambassador of the Republic of Iran.

The visiting dignitaries were given a bullet circuit of GC‟s state-of-the-art facilities and equipment. The representa-tives of the college reiterated GC‟s penultimate goal of providing topnotch, globally-acclaimed education to their stakeholders. Meanwhile, the delegates marvelled at GC‟s groundbreaking features, particularly at the college‟s ad-vanced computer laboratories, registration facilities, and IT department. The ambassador was also eager to share best practices to Gulf College as encourage Iranian students to study at GC as well as the Sultanate of Oman. Other offic-ers and staff of the college, along with the heads of facul-ties, gave their full and enthusiastic cooperation during the notable visit.

In a feat of benevolent solidarity and support for GC’s

reigning prestige, H.E. Mr. Ali Akbar Sibeveih, Ambas-

sador of the Republic of Iran, piloted a tour of Gulf Col-

lege’s campus in Mabela, with the magnanimous aus-

pices of Dr. Issa Al Bulushi, Chairman of the Board of

Directors and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, and

Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani, Dean.

IN AGREEMENT. Dean Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani with Ambassador of Spain to Oman, His Excellency Juan Jose Urtasun Erro.

To strengthen the profes-

sional ties of its faculty as

well as uphold institutional

identity, Gulf College invited

Ms. Sheikha Al Akhzami,

Deputy Director, Innovation

and Entrepreneurship De-

partment, Deanship of Re-

search, Sultan Qaboos Uni-

versity.

The forum includes a thor-

ough discussion of the na-

ture of IP, IP rights, patent

databases, copyrights, in-

dustrial designs, trade-

marks, and IP Infringement.

The event also concentrated

on the concept of intellectual

property as legal rights which

result from intellectual activi-

ties in industrial, scientific,

literary and artistic fields.

Deputy Director Ms. Akhzami

also underlined the signifi-

cance of maintaining and

protecting IP rights, as it

serves as a statutory expres-

sion to the moral and eco-

nomic rights of creators in

their creations Page 2)

Deputy Dean for Quality Assurance and Partnerships

Dr. Shameena Mehtab delivered a comprehensive dis-

cussion on the standard operating procedures re-

quired for the Staff-Student Liaison and Programme

Committee.

The procedure is to be followed by all faculties of the col-

lege, as each Head ensures the compliance and swift ac-

tion of all staff members. The committee shall process the

student satisfaction survey result outcome for the faculty,

student complaints, and action plan for the faculty based

on AMR and PA reports.

The Staff Student Liaison serves as an avenue for stu-

dents and staff to exchange views, comments and recom-

mendations about any non-academic services received by

the stakeholders from staff members and personnel from

all the faculties, centres and departments. The committee

guarantees quick response to concerns and suggestions

`

Gulf College News Gazette May 2016 Vol. 5 Issue 5

2

Editorial Board: Dr. Issa Al Bu-lushi and Dr. Taki Al Abduwani (Chairmen and Publishers), Dr. Shameena Mehtab (Critic), Dr. Romeo C. Castillo (Editor in Chief)

LEADER. DD-QA&P Dr. Shameena Mehtab presents the standard operating procedures for Staff-Student Liaison and Programme Committee to the staff members of the college.

With the aim of transforming Gulf College into a cultural paragon of

entrepreneurship, Dean Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani invited public

and private entrepreneurs, and other higher college institutions to

support the vision of Her Exellency Dr. Rawya Al Busaidi, Minister

of Higher Education to introduce entrepreneurship culture.

VISIONARY. Dean Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani along with the cen-tre managers of GC discuss the college’s vision for an enhanced entrepreneurship environment.

Prof. Taki encouraged all the

participants of the workshop to

assist and support new entrepre-

neurs on their ventures around

the Sultanate of Oman and share

their expertise and experience so

that the students of Gulf College

will be encouraged to start their

business. He also stated that the

propagation of the students‟ busi-

ness visions will yield better re-

sults for the country‟s economy.

The Centre Managers of CRE

Dr. Agnes Ilagan, CCGA Ms.

Faisa Khan, CTPD Dr. Ines

Masmoudi and CLCS Dr. Ivy

Villareal shared their best prac-

tices, accomplishments, plans,

and experience to the guests.

They also underlined how the

expansion of business opportuni-

ties for the students will benefit

the Sultanate in the coming

years.

and programmes of the college

to Spanish institutions, such as

student exchange, graduate and

postgraduate programme deliv-

ery, joint research and training,

and entrepreneurship.

He stated that GC has over six

thousand undergraduate stu-

dents and about four hundred

graduate students who can either

study or establish business in

Spain and vice-versa.

Dean Dr. Taki also extended an

invitation to the Ambassador for

a tour of GC‟s state-of-the-art

facilities.

The academic meeting is set as

the first milestone for paving

opportunities for both the Sultan-

ate of Oman and Spain in areas

of education, business and in-

dustry. The academic partner-

ship is set to expand in the fu-

ture. Dean Dr. Taki with Ms. Sheikha Al Akhzami, Deputy Director of Sul-tan Qaboos University

and the rights of the pub-

lic in access to those

creations.

IP also promotes creativi-

ty and the dissemination

and application of its re-

sults to encourage fair

trading which will contrib-

ute to economic and so-

cial development.

Gulf College News Gazette May 2016 Vol. 5 Issue 5

3

The workshop presented a thorough discussion of FCS‟ objectives,

including the creation of a strong community of computing profes-

sionals through the implementation of quality education and a

strong learning environment. The faculty also plans to introduce

industrial visits and trainings to help strengthen the students‟ exper-

tise. More workshops are also to be implemented to improve the

staff and students‟ knowledge of the field. Additionally, a Staff Stu-

dent Liaison Committee is also set to be constituted in the depart-

ment. Thee faculty fervently believes that such measures will not

only contribute to the betterment of the programme, but also aid in

the stakeholders‟ employment future.

GEARED. The Faculty of Computing Sciences led by Head Mr. Abubucker

Shaffi conduct the Semester Reviews Workshop.

Under the tutelage of Acting Head Mr. Abubucker Shaffi, the

Faculty of Computing Sciences instigated the Semester Re-

views Workshop to fine-tune the system processes as well as

address the department’s project needs for the coming semes-

ter.

Gulf College’s Faculty of Foundation Studies (FFS)

recently consigned an envoy of proficient lecturers

to attend the ELPTN Conference at the Military Tech-

nological College in Al-Seeb.

What’s Up in Oman?

Ramadan working hours for public and

private sectors have now been an-

nounced in preparation for the holy

event. (Source: timesofoman.com )

FOCUSED. FFS lecturers Abdullah Al Rajaibi, Bashayer Ghasab, Hamoud Saleh Al

Amri, and Said Al Sinani join the ELPTN 2016 conference.

FFS lecturers Abdullah Al

Rajaibi, Bashayer

Ghasab, Hamoud Saleh

Al Amri, and Said Al Sin-

ani joined the 2016 con-

ference entitled

“„Engaging, Educational,

Effortless‟ Ideas and ac-

tivities in the classroom.”

The said event featured

international speakers as

well as local presenters

who delivered key tech-

niques in teaching and

the utilisation of English

as a medium of Instruc-

tion. Three plenary ses-

sions focusing on innova-

tions in visual literacy and

modern teaching strate-

gies, classroom activity

planning, and communi-

cation skill enhancement

were presented to the

attendees.

The delegates were also

given various break-out

workshops to allow for

the application, intensifi-

cation and continuous

sharing of applicable

skills and strategies in

modern teaching.

Some of the notable

presenters include Dr.

Paul Woodfall of the

Oxford University Press,

Dr. John Hughes of

CENGAGE National

Geographic, and Dr.

Peter Lucantoni, ESL

author, educator and

consultant of Cambridge

University Press.

As tribute to his undeniable ex-

cellence in the field of Business,

Dr. M. Nasrin Sulthana, Faculty

of Business and Management

Studies, has published another

research in the Intercontinental

Journal of Human Resource

Management (IJHRM).

The research, entitled “Motivation for Training the Employees of VOLTAMP Company”, focused on

the workplace ethics, inner sys-tems, procedures, and profes-sional relationships of staff and employees of the VOLTAMP, one of the largest companies in the Sultanate.

Dr. Nasrin believes that a de-tailed analysis on human re-source management of large companies will help in the im-provement of conducive work-ing environments in the busi-ness sector.

Gulf College News Gazette May 2016 Vol. 5 Issue 5

4

Announcement

Student Satisfaction Surveys are now accessible at the college web-

site: www. gulfcollege.edu.om

Awards and Research

Celebrating GC’s Legacy of Achievements

The winner poses with the trophy, accompanied by Prof. Dr. Taki Al Abduwani, Dean, Ms. Aisha Ghazi Haider, Pro-gramme Leader, and Mr. Masood Khan, FFS Head.

The college congratulates two student winners from the FFS

Department: Sabra Al Balushi and Hasan al Lawati, as they

garnered second place in the national spelling bee competi-

tion held at the Scientific College of Arts and Design. The

students bested over thirty competitors and took home the

trophy and proved that language and communication is a

mastered skill of GC stakeholders.

The college also thanks Ms. Aisha Ghazi Haider, Programme

Leader of FFS, who exerted time and effort to support the

contestants as well as initiated rigid training to ensure their

success.

Dr. Apolo Bagunas honoured GC during the International

Conclave on Innovations in Engineering and Management,

with the theme “Oman Vision 2020: Opportunities and Chal-

lenges”, by presenting his comprehensive paper on the

“Application of Corporate Social Responsibility in Selected

Companies in Oman: A Comparative Study”. The outstand-

ing research was selected from over a hundred vying studies

by a global body of academic professionals. Dr. Bagunas

hopes that his study will help maximise the community and

social involvement of corporations.

Dr. Apolo Bagunas, FBMS Lecturer

Dr. Mohaned Al Obaidy, Deputy Dean for Aca-

demic and Research and FCS lecturer Mr. S.

Balaji also garnered praise for the college by

receiving the privilege of presenting their note-

worthy study entitled “Project Characteristics

used for Methodology Selection to Develop Soft-

ware Project” at the International Conference on

Electrical, Electronics, and Optimisation Tech-

niques held at DMI College of Engineering. The

research seeks to contribute to the computing

landscape by exploring viable methods used in

the creation, quality enhancement, and succes-

sive completion of new softwares.