Sohar University is the First Private Higher Education Institution in the Sultanate to be an associate member of one of the entities of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN)

Suhar – In a move that reflects its commitment to research excellence and international collaboration, Sohar University announces that it has officially become an associate member to one of the entities of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). This CERN entity is known as the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) research experiment which includes the world’s largest and highest-energy particle accelerator that is related to advanced specialised technology.

Sohar University is the first private higher education institution in the Sultanate to join this prestigious research organisation. The R&D equipment and facilities available to CERN-CMS are the best advanced research equipment in the world, comprising very large facilities and equipment with a diameter of 14 metres and a length of 26.7 kilometres, which are installed in a tunnel located 100 metres below the surface of the ground along the border between France and Switzerland and the total weight of the system is 14,000 metric tonnes. Certainly, research facilities similar in their sophistication and size to this system cannot be easily developed without allocating very large investment amounts that may reach the equivalent of the budgets of several countries in the world.

Sohar University’s associate-membership will enable the university researchers to have access and joint use of such an important research facility and thus enhance the position of the university and the Sultanate among higher education institutions and research centres in the world.

Dr. Hamdan bin Sulaiman al Fazari, the Vice-Chancellor of Sohar University, stressed that this partnership comes within the strategy of Sohar University to promote scientific research and innovation, and provide opportunities for its students and researchers to benefit from the latest technologies and advanced laboratories at CERN-CMS, which contributes to the development of scientific knowledge and raising the level of national competencies in the technical and research fields. It also strengthens the university position as a leading university in scientific research, and opens the doors to innovation and progress in the technological and scientific fields, which contributes to achieving Oman Vision 2040, and aims to upgrade the research, development and innovation ecosystem in the Sultanate.

Professor Ghassan bin Adnan al Kindi, the Sohar University Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, stated that the number of higher education institutions and research centres from all over the world that have associate membership, cooperation, and partnership activities with CERN-CMS is currently 247 universities and research centres from 58 countries, including the most prestigious universities and research institutes in the world.

Prof. Ghassan stressed that the scientific and research collaboration within CERN-CMS is described as one of the largest international scientific collaboration projects in history. The great positive with an overwhelming majority vote of the CERN-CMS Collaboration Board has concluded the approval of Sohar University’s case to become one of their associate members. This outcome has been successfully achieved in light of the Sohar University proposed collaboration programme. The suggested collaboration programme has achieved great impact in showing the true bright image of Sohar University in front of the approximately 250 members, from prestigious universities and international research centres, of the Board. The ambitious collaboration plan developed by Sohar University with CERN-CMS allows for the acquisition and transfer of knowledge and building the research and technological capabilities of the university’s cadres and allows faculty, researchers, and students to participate in various research in engineering and technological techniques in the relevant fields and to collaborate with elite scientists and researchers around the world. This, in turn, enables the university to contribute to the world’s leading scientific experiments that aim to contribute to the achievement of the sustainable development goals and the goals of Oman Vision 2040.