Sohar University, Unesco hosts AI conferences
SUHAR: Sohar University officially inaugurated the Artificial Intelligence Conference: Navigating Digital Skills and Decent Work; and the Sohar University Research Conference (SURC8) on Sunday, at its campus. The conferences are organised in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) — Doha Regional Office and the National Commission for Education, Culture, and Science, under the auspices of Dr Rahma bint Ibrahim al Mahrouqiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Innovation.
These two significant events aim to enhance research and innovation in artificial intelligence (AI) and various academic disciplines, providing a platform for students and researchers to showcase their innovations.
The conferences also focus on fostering digital and professional skills, exploring global digital transformation and strengthening international collaborations between Sohar University and global organisations. A major goal of the conferences is to contribute to sustainable development goals (SDGs) through the integration of AI and modern technologies across sectors.
The first day began with an address from Dr Hamdan al Fazari, Vice Chancellor of Sohar University, who emphasised the university's commitment to equipping students with the skills needed to meet market demands in the AI era. He highlighted Sohar University's integration of AI technologies into its educational and administrative processes, including AI-powered chatbots for student support, virtual classrooms for remote learning and predictive analytics for identifying at-risk students. Dr Al Fazari also discussed the importance of ethics in AI and the transformation of jobs in the digital age.
In addition to the local experts, the event featured international keynote speakers from Australia, Finland, China, US, Lebanon and Qatar. These speakers covered a range of topics, including AI ethics, AI in higher education and the future of jobs with AI.
Notable speakers included Dragan Gasevic from Monash University, Australia, who explored Ethics and Rational AI and Prof Abdulnasir Hossen, Unesco Chair on AI at Sultan Qaboos University, who addressed the Future of Skills and Job Transformation with AI.
Dr Anasse Bouhlal, Regional Programme Specialist for Higher Education and TVET at Unesco, and Bader Suliman al Harthy, Assistant Secretary-General at the Oman National Commission for Education, Culture and Science, emphasised the importance of digital transformation for economic and social progress in Oman. They also acknowledged the need for the integration of digital skills and technologies across various sectors.
The first day concluded with an interactive panel discussion, moderated by Nur Naha Binti Abu Mansor, Dean of the Faculty of Business at Sohar University. The discussions will continue over the next two days, offering a rich exchange of ideas and insights among academics, researchers and professionals in AI and scientific research.
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