In December last year Wendy Abbott, Associate Director Customer Services, had a unique opportunity to visit Sur University College in the Sultanate of Oman as a member of the Bond University School of Business Quality Assurance Team. The purpose of her visit was to review the Library at Sur University College as part of the agreement between Bond University and Sur University College for the provision of quality assurance of the College’s degree programs.
Located on the coast overlooking the Gulf of Oman, Sur is about 350 kilometres by road from the capital Muscat and is the largest city in the south east region of the country. Oman has been rapidly developing since the early 1970s and is an intriguing contrast of Middle Eastern tradition and western modernity.
The visit provided a unique opportunity to gain an appreciation of the higher education environment in Oman. Sur University College was founded about 5 years ago and as a newly established college in a still developing region, it faces significant challenges. The quality assurance partnership with Bond University is a vital strategy for the growth and ongoing development of the institution.
The outcome of the visit was a report with recommendations for the future development of the Library and we look forward to continuing the links with the Library and other staff at Sur University College.