Sohar University signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Indian Institute of Management Rohtak (IIM Rohtak) for examining the possibility of a tie-up to start a Bachelor of Business Administration program. The MoA was signed by Prof. Dheeraj Sharma, Director of IIM Rohtak and Dr Hamdan Al Fazari, Vice Chancellor of Sohar University in connection with the WIPO conference held at Sohar University. The conference focused on the theme "Elevating Intellectual Property, Research, and Innovation in Oman" and enjoyed patronage under H.E. Prof. Rahma Al Mahrouqi, Minister of Higher Education, Research, and Innovation, while attending His Excellency Amit Narang, the Indian Ambassador to Oman.
In the seminar, Professor Sharma gave a key-note speech on the balancing that must take place between intellectual property rights and open innovation. He directed the researchers toward what forms of disruptive innovations would truly impact society. Otherwise, they should not commercialize non-trivially impactful innovations. According to Professor Sharma, the purpose of innovation was not to change people but to improve the world in a good way.
The MoA is a significant step forward in the academic collaboration between the two institutions, aimed at improving business education and research in the region. Sohar University is ready to use its facilities to speed the launch of the program for which no start date has been decided.
The Bachelor of Business Administration is geared especially for the Indian diaspora living within a 200 km radius of Sohar University, aligning with the demand for quality education in that area. These include core subjects such as management, finance, operations, and marketing; hence an emphasis is given on critical thinking, data analysis, and also ethical business practices so that graduates are ready for the global landscape of business.
IIM Rohtak is known to be one of India's premier management institutions, with an academic rigour and dedication toward developing future leaders. This agreement combines a sharp focus on high quality education with research excellence through the incorporation of robust academic frameworks and practical applications. This collaboration with IIM Rohtak in this manner justifies Sohar University's commitment toward developing future leaders and moving forward with transformative work in higher education.
