Sultan Qaboos University has obtained three new patents for inventions by the university’s professors and students over the past year.

The first patent was granted to a group of researchers who developed a method for the crystallisation of date syrup into date paste, at the College of Agricultural and Marine Sciences. 

In addition, a research team from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering received a patent for the invention of a multi-port portable wireless charger, while a third patent was granted to inventors who discovered that nanostructured zinc oxide membranes could separate oil from water.

The patents were announced on the occasion of SQU’s 17th University Day, which falls on the 2nd of May. It marks the anniversary of the day on which His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said made an historic visit to the university, on the 2nd of May, 2000.

Held under the patronage of HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Hinai, the Advisor of the State, University Day is also when SQU’s best and brightest are conferred grants and honours.

This year, seven new research projects were also earmarked for funding from His Majesty’s Trust Fund.

“Between 2001 and 2016, 82 projects were funded by His Majesty’s Trust Fund, with total funding equalling around 7.78 million Rials,” said Dr. Rahma Ibrahim Al Mahrooqi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Post Graduate Studies and Research. “In 2016, five projects were selected for funding with a total value of around 378,000 Rials.

“Two projects were selected for funding from the College of Science, and one each from the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, the College of Agriculture, and the College of Commerce and Political Sciences”, she added.

Some of the projects that will receive funding this year deal with advanced preservation of date palm trees from pests and micro-organisms, plans for seawater-based greenhouses for sustainable agriculture, advanced solar-powered desalination techniques for water recovery, researching renewable power generation in Oman, and tapping into the Sultanate’s marine plant life to find natural cures for ovarian cancer.

In addition, 84 internal grants were approved by SQU last year, with these receiving around 530,000 Rials worth of funding.

Dr. Ali bin Saud al Bimani, the Vice Chancellor of the University, also highlighted some of the achievements of the university across various disciplines over the past year.

“Students from the university got advanced positions at the eighth Annual Wooden Bridge Competition held at the American University in Dubai. A team from the Computer Science Department, College of Science won the fourth place in the Gulf University Programming Contest held in Kuwait”.

He also mentioned the launch of the Omani Eco-friendly house on SQU’s campus, which is considered to be one of the most important projects for maintaining the ecosystem, reducing dependence on electricity and relying on alternative sources of energy.

In addition, he praised the efforts of the Department of Marine Sciences and Fisheries, which successfully devised a plan for the sustainable breeding of Koi carp, by placing them in circular ponds at the university’s agricultural testing plant. SQU has also published over 848 research papers over the past year, with a further 227 already released in 2017.

Last year, 298 students graduated with masters’ degrees, and a further 18 completed their PhDs at SQU. A total of 828 post-graduate students and a further 60 doctoral candidates are currently studying at Sultan Qaboos University.

Source: Timesofoman