Toward Virtual Universities in the Sultanate of Oman: Reality, Challenges and Perspectives

The advances in information and communications technologies (ICT) have made possible the development of virtual universities. On a global scale, virtual universities have been heralded as a way of reducing educational and socio-economic disparities between countries, as students can in theory access high quality education from around the world at relatively low cost. The objective of this paper is to consider the case for a virtual university in the Sultanate of Oman by examining the arguments for and against virtual universities, especially in the developing country context, and to assess the viability and potential benefits of this type of initiative for the Sultanate of Oman, taking into account the country’s levels of socioeconomic and technological development. The paper is based on secondary analysis of literature published internationally over the past fifteen years or so relating to virtual universities, particularly in the context of developing countries, as well as recent statistics and information pertaining to socio-economic and technological development in the Sultanate of Oman. The paper revealed that existing research evidence indicates that the implementation of a virtual university as a means of upgrading and diversifying the skills and knowledge of a population can effectively contribute to the economic development process. E-learning is already being successfully used in Oman’s small but well-developed higher education sector. The paper recommended that the Sultanate of Oman should continue expansion and upgrading of its ICT infrastructure; consideration should be given to establishing a network of Tele-centers to  increase population access to the Internet; and to implementing public marketing and awareness-raising campaigns to promote participation in the OVU

Understanding the Prospects and Potential for Improved Regional LIS Collaboration in the Developing World: An Empirical Study of LIS Departments in the GCC States

The purpose of the study was to generate information on the extent and types of collaboration occurring between academic LIS departments and faculty in the GCC states, and on the factors influencing this, to help inform policies and strategies designed to improve collaboration. This is a qualitative research study, based on interviews with Heads of LIS Departments in the GCC states. The researchers emailed all Heads of LIS Departments (n=8) in Universities within the GCC States to invite them to participate in an interview about their experiences of and views on collaboration with other LIS departments in the region. Of the (8) Heads of Departments, only 5 responded to the e-mail invitation and subsequently completed the interview. The qualitative research data generated from the interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The data were examined and a preliminary set of themes created, then, the data were re-examined and coded according to the preliminary themes. It was found that very little formal collaboration has taken place to date, but that Heads of Departments are well aware of the many potential benefits of collaboration, and the types of barriers that must be overcome to achieve this. The findings have theoretical significance relating to the potential role of LIS collaboration in developing regions more generally, and practical implications for the development of strategies and initiatives to improve collaboration in the Gulf region. A fourstage strategy development, planning, establishment and implementation model is proposed to underpin the program of work necessary to achieve this, which can also be applied to other developing regions