Dhofar University Surpasses 2000 Publications in Scopus: A Milestone in Research Excellence
Dhofar University (DU) recently celebrated a remarkable achievement, crossing the milestone of 2000 publications indexed in Scopus, the globally recognized database for peer-reviewed research. This accomplishment highlights DU’s dedication to advancing knowledge and underscores the high caliber of research produced by its faculty, students, and research teams. Over the years, DU has made substantial investments in research infrastructure, faculty development, and ethical standards, fostering an environment where impactful studies can thrive. Spanning fields as diverse as environmental sustainability, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and social sciences, DU’s research contributions address both regional and global challenges. This 2000-publication mark reinforces the university’s role as a key academic and research institution in Oman, while its strategic goals include further expanding international partnerships, supporting interdisciplinary projects, and hosting conferences to share insights. As DU continues to build on this success, the university remains committed to producing meaningful research that benefits society and strengthens its position on the global academic stage.
Dhofar University Receives 95,256 R.O. for 13 Projects Under Block Funding Program Call 2024 by MoHERI
Salalah, Oman – Dhofar University has secured 13 research grants under the Block Funding Program Call 2024 launched by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation (MoHERI). The total grant amount of 95,256 R.O. demonstrates the university’s commitment to fostering research excellence and addressing pressing challenges through innovative research initiatives.
The awarded projects span three distinct categories, reflecting the diverse research interests and capabilities of Dhofar University’s faculty and students. Five projects were granted under the Doctoral Research Grant Program, totaling 80,564 R.O. These projects will be led by experienced faculty members and aim to make significant contributions to their respective fields of study. Two additional grants were secured under the Graduate Research Grant Program, with a total allocation of 5,992 R.O. These grants will support graduate students in conducting their research projects, providing them with valuable hands-on experience and contributing to their academic growth. Furthermore, four undergraduate students were awarded grants under the Undergraduate Research Grant Program, amounting to 8,700 R.O. This initiative aims to encourage undergraduate students to engage in research activities, fostering their interest in scientific inquiry and preparing them for future academic pursuits.
The successful acquisition of these research grants is a testament to the university’s unwavering efforts to promote research culture and encourage faculty and students to participate in innovative research projects. By providing necessary resources and support, Dhofar University has created an environment that fosters creativity, collaboration, and impactful research outcomes.
The awarded projects are expected to address pressing challenges and contribute to the development of Oman in various areas, such as energy, climate change, technology, and sustainability. Dhofar University remains committed to its research vision and mission, and this achievement further solidifies its position as a leading institution in research and innovation in Oman.
Dhofar University Faculty Ranked among Top 2% Scientists in World
Salalah, Oman – In a significant achievement for higher education in Oman, seven faculty members from Dhofar University have been honored as part of the world’s top 2% scientists. The prestigious recognition was bestowed by a renowned research team led by Stanford University based on Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators as per “Scopus”.
The esteemed list, compiled using a rigorous methodology that considers various academic metrics such as citations, H-index, and publications, highlights the exceptional contributions of these faculty members to their respective fields of study. Their research work has not only garnered international acclaim but has also made a substantial impact on their respective areas of expertise.
Dr. Mazhar Ul Islam from College of Engineering and Dr. Sameen Ahmed Khan from College of Arts & Applied Sciences have been recognized for career-long impact while Dr. Paul C. Okonkwo and Dr. Shaukat Khan from College of Engineering, Dr. Gowhar Naikoo from College of Arts & Applied Sciences, Dr. Ahmed Samour from College of Commerce & Business Administration and Dr. Adeeb Shehzad from Dhofar University Research Centre have been ranked for single-year impact.
The university’s leadership expressed immense pride in the achievements of its faculty members, emphasizing their commitment to excellence in research and their dedication to advancing knowledge. This recognition serves as a testament to the university’s efforts in fostering a vibrant research environment and nurturing the intellectual growth of its faculty.
As Dhofar University continues to expand its research capabilities and collaborate with international partners, it is anticipated that more of its faculty members will receive similar recognition in the future. This achievement not only reflects the university’s dedication to academic excellence but also highlights the potential of Omani researchers to make significant contributions to the global scientific community.
Dhofar University Achieves Unprecedented Surge in Research Output: A Milestone Year for Academic Excellence in Oman – A review of AY 2023-24
In a remarkable academic year from September 2023 – August 2024, Dhofar University (DU) witnessed an unprecedented surge in research output, solidifying its place as a key contributor to academic excellence in Oman. The university’s faculty members produced a staggering 473 research papers across various high-impact platforms, including Scopus, Web of Science, and peer-reviewed journals. This marks a significant leap from the previous year where 450 papers were published during the previous academic year.
The standout numbers showcase Dhofar University’s dedication to research with Scopus-indexed publications rising from 129 in year 2019 to 256 in first eight months of 2024. Similarly, the publications in Web of Science publications jumped up to 137 until August 2024. Thus, the total number of publications till date increased to more than 3048 with 1976 total publications in Scopus and 1394 publications in Web of Science.
Dhofar University’s impressive increase in output reflects its faculty’s exceptional productivity, with an average of 2.9 research papers per faculty member. This growth is even more pronounced in the College of Engineering (CE), where faculty members averaged ~4 papers per faculty member, highlighting their role as a research powerhouse within the university. The collaboration between faculty and students was also evident, with 10 student-inclusive publications being recorded. This emphasis on student involvement is vital for fostering a culture of research and innovation at all academic levels and the evidence of importance to research teaching nexus at Dhofar University.
Dhofar University’s position as a research leader is not confined to its walls. When benchmarked against other top institutions in Oman, DU ranks second private university in Oman based on publications in Scopus with 1,976 publications to its honor while Sultan Qaboos University leads with 20,498 publications.
The university’s commitment to global collaboration shines through in its growing international partnerships. Dhofar University has built strong research ties with renowned institutions in countries such as Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, facilitating groundbreaking research that reaches far beyond Oman’s borders. Over the years, it has collaborated with 472 institutions in Asia Pacific, 185 in Asia, 91 in African continent, 109 in American continent and 233 in Europe.
As Dhofar University’s research output grows, so does its financial support for innovation. The research budget for the upcoming academic year (2024-25) has been set at RO 175,700, nearly three times the funding available in 2019-20. This increasing financial commitment underscores the university’s dedication to fostering a sustainable and impactful research environment.
With over 24,239 citations and an h-index of 69 in Scopus, Dhofar University continues to set new standards in academic research. The university’s achievements with more than 52% of its publications in Q1 journals cement its role as a central player in advancing knowledge across the Arab world.
Dhofar University is making remarkable strides in research and innovation, with a secured international and national patent, alongside one international and one national patent application under review. The university hosts research groups in cutting-edge fields like IoT, renewable energy, nanotechnology, law, biodiversity, medicinal plants, and language and translation and others.
Till date, DU has successfully secured funding for over 96 research projects from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation, Dhofar municipality and Ministry of Health in areas of importance to Oman as per Oman Vision 2040. During the AY 2023-24, the University received grant for 19 Research Grants Under Block Funding Program Call 2023 by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation in the category of Faculty Research Grant, Graduate Research Grant and Undergraduate Research Grant with a total amount of 140,058 OMR. Moreover, the faculty and students have earned nearly 138 international and national prestigious research awards.
The research standards at Dhofar University have been awarded “Satisfactory” status by The Oman Academic Accreditation Authority (OAAAQA). Moreover, it is ranked 1st HEI in Oman and 76th in Arab world for research network and first private HEI in Oman and 28th in Arab world for paper per faculty by QS in 2024 Arab world rankings. Additionally, Dhofar University actively contributes to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), furthering its global impact. Notably, Dhofar University stands as the only institution from Oman to be featured in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings, highlighting the importance of SDG-aligned research and development in Oman’s academic sector.
In a major milestone, Dhofar University is proud to have seven of its faculty members ranked among the top 2% of scientists globally, according to the latest rankings (2024). This achievement underscores DU’s rising global influence and the increasing recognition of its researchers in the scientific community.
As Dhofar University heads into the next academic year, its upward trajectory shows no sign of slowing down. With an eye on expanding its research collaborations and further enhancing its global impact, the institution is poised to remain at the forefront of academic excellence, both regionally and internationally. Its growing list of accolades, including global recognition in the top 2% of scientists and robust international partnerships, positions the university as a beacon of academic excellence in Oman and beyond.
Congratulations Top 2% Scientists of the World Year 2023.
As a results of countless efforts invested by the University in encouraging researchers to participate in scientific research to serve the community and to achieve University’s research vision and mission, Dhofar University has been successfully granted Fourteen (14) research grants under block Funding Program by Ministry of Higher Education, Research & Innovation with a total grant amounting to 145,610 R.O. The projects are awarded under three different categories i.e. Seven (7) projects under the category of Faculty Research Grant with a total grant of 132,430 R.O., two (2) under GRADUATE RESEARCH Grant with a grant of 6,000 R.O. and five (5) under Undergraduate Research Grant with a grant of 7,180 R.O.
The projects are awarded under different research areas of international and national priority like Artificial intelligence, Internet of Things(IoT), Oil & Gas, Cyber Security, Education, human Resource & Management, Commerce, Renewable Energy, environment, Biology and Health. Some of the significant projects include:
• An integrated educational platform for students with hearing difficulties (InEPSHeD)
• Academic Resources Planning System (ARPS): Application to assurance of learning, faculty management and intellectual contribution
• Towards Shared Mobility as a Service in Oman (S-MaaS): Socially-Structured Vanpooling and Shared-Taxis as an Example
• Survey to Document the Spread of Parthenium Weed and its Effects on Native Plant Biodiversity and Climate Change in Dhofar Governorate, Sultanate of Oman
• Electrochemical Non-Enzymatic Glucose Sensors Composed of Bimetallic and Trimetallic Nanoporous Composite Materials for Diabetes Monitoring
• A Secure IoT-based Health Monitoring System for Oman
• An Application of Machine Learning in Reservoir Modeling for Enhanced Oil Recovery
• Cybersecurity Compliance Among Government Employees: Structural Equation Modeling
• Human Resource Management practices and Human capital retention during Global Pandemic and its effects on organizational productivity and performance: perspective in GCC
Dhofar University always encourages its faculty members, staff and students to participate in University’s efforts to achieve its mission to become major research hub in the region by providing conducive environment for credible and impactful research.
As a results of countless efforts invested by the University in encouraging researchers to indulge in impactful research to serve the community and to achieve University’s research vision and mission, two faculty members from Dhofar university have been selected among top 2% scientists in the world by Stanford for year 2021. The exhaustive list containing more than 190,000 researchers from around the globe has been recently released by Stanford. Dr. Mazhar Ul Islam from Department of Chemical Engineering, College of Engineering has been selected for second consecutive year under Single-year impact indicator while Dr. Sameen Ahmed Khan has been selected for the first time under career-long impact indicator.
Dr. Mazhar Ul Islam has completed his PhD from Kyungpook national University, South Korea and remained as Post Doc fellow and later contract professor in same institute for 2 years. Dr. Mazhar UL-Islam has published more than 90 articles in the field of nanomaterials, biopolymers and nanocomposites in renowned International journals. Also, he presented works at many national and International conferences. Dr. Mazhar UL-Islam contributions have acclaimed recognition from honorable subject experts around the world. His expertise is in fields of Bacterial Cellulose, Composites, Nanocomposites, Polymerization, Polymers, Biopolymers, Biodegradable Polymers, Biomaterials, Nanomaterials, Nanofibers, Polymeric, Biomaterials, Materials Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Polymer Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering.
Dr. Sameen Ahmed Khan has done his PhD on the Quantum theory of charged-particle beam optics from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences, University of Madras, Chennai, India. He has single-handedly developed a unified treatment of light-beam optics and light polarization using quantum methodologies. This formalism describes the beam-optics and light polarization from a parent Hamiltonian, which is exact and derived from the Maxwell’s equations. This new formalism was among the thirty selected by the OPTICA (formerly, Optical Society of America) for the Optics in 2016, highlighting the world-wide breakthroughs innovations in optics and photonics in that year. He was also selected as Senior Member for OPTICA for the year 2020. He has authored four books; fifteen book chapters; and over seventy-five publications in journals and proceedings of repute along with over 250 publications on science popularization.
Dhofar University congratulates both faculty members on achieving this feat and is confident of continuing to produce impactful research of national relevance.
Congratulations to the Winners of the National Research Award 2020 under the PhD holder’s category in the (ICT) sector from all across Oman.
The results of Call 2020 for block funding program by MOHERI (before TRC) have been announced in November 2020. Eleven research projects worth more than 80,000 OMR have been approved (refer to table below). It is the evidence of exceptional research efforts of our faculty and students.
| Faculty Projects (RG) | Budget | PI | |
| 1. | Novel poly(m-aminophenol)/metal nanoparticles hybrid material based bio-sensor for health care applications and food quality assessment | 20,000 | Ahmad, Mohammad Wasi |
| 2. | Content evaluation of the Omani sciences textbooks of grades (1-8) in the light of TIMSS 2019 requirements | 9,320 | Abdelkarim, Raed |
| 3. | Integrated Livestock Farming Approach and Socio-Economic Development of Sultanate of Oman | 5,100 | Sha, Nadia |
| 4. | Development of bacterial cellulose composite films for practical applications in wound healing and pollutant degradation | 20,000 | Ul-Islam, Mazhar |
| 5. | Anti Cancer Activity of Dhofar Medicinal Plants | 20,000 | Rashan, Luay |
| Students Projects (URG) | Budget | Team leader / Mentor | |
| 1. | Ex-situ synthesis of bactericidal bacterial cellulose nanocomposites for potential wound healing applications | 1,500 |
Tabook, Muna Mentor: Ul-Islam, Mazhar |
| 2. | Blockchain Technology and Electronic Supply Chain Management (eSCM) | 1,500 |
ALmarhoon, Fatima Mentor: ALraja, Mansour Naser |
| 3. | Recycling of Coconut Shell and Plastic Waste as Coarse Aggregates in Concrete Formation | 1,000 |
Ba Uwain, Al Mutasam Abdollah Ali Mentor: Ahmad, Mohammad Wasi |
| 4. | Detection of Heavy Metals in Milk of Camel from Various Areas of Dhofar Region Through Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer | 1,200 |
Batmira, Fatima Mohmmed Mentor: Ahmad, Mohammad Wasi |
| 5. | Synthesis of Biodiesel from Fish Waste of Dhofar Region | 1,150 |
Tabouk, Mohammed Said Mentor: Ahmad, Mohammad Wasi |
| 6. | The Impacts of Digital Economy on Monetary System of Oman: An Empirical Analysis | 800 |
AL Maashni, Amina Mentor: AL-Shubairi, Faris |
We are pleased to inform you that Dhofar University has subscribed to Scopus and Web of Science; internationally recognized research databases. Through subscription, DU faculty, students and staff can now access and download full publications (articles, papers, books) indexed in Scopus and Web of Science. This is done to facilitate our researchers and to enhance University’s research productivity and quality as per its research mission and vision.
The faculty members from the Department of Computer Science, College of Arts & Applied Sciences have been successfully awarded Grant under COVID-19 Research Grant from The Research Council, Muscat. The grant was announced in April as a part of the national efforts to combat global pandemic. The approved project titled “Towards a Generic Decision Support System for Communicable Diseases Control in Urban Environments of Oman– COVID19 as an Example” is led by Dr. Hedi Haddad along with Dr. Zied Bouyahya. The total grant awarded is 7,000.00 R.O. for 6 months.