7 Days to Meeting of Secretary Generals for ISESCO National Commissions at ISC, Shiraz, Islamic Republic of Iran, 11-12 November 2018

Part Twelve: An Introduction to the Omani and Malian Participants

One of the participating countries in Meeting of Secretary Generals for ISESCO National Commissions at ISC is Oman.

The Omani representative is:

Ms. Amna Salim Al Baloushi: Deputy Secretary General for Education and Science at Oman National Commission for ISESCO

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. Its official religion is Islam. Arabic is the official language of Oman. The capital is Muscat. Oman is an absolute monarchy by male primogeniture. According to the estimate of 2016, the population of Oman is 4,424,762.

Oman is a member of the United Nations, the Arab League, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization. It has sizable oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy involves tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. 

The Scientific Status of Oman in Global Ranking of QS 2019

Oman with one university is the tenth Islamic country according to QS 2019 ranking. Based on the reports of QS 2019, it is 0.99% of all universities of Islamic countries and 0.1% of all universities of the world.

The Share of OIC Countries of the total number of OIC & World Universities in QS World University Rankings (2019)

Also, according to the reports of QS 2019, Omani University of Sultan Qaboos has been the thirteenth with regard to QS Overall Scores of Islamic countries.

Top OIC Countries based on QS 2019 Overall Score

Sultan Qaboos University is ranked as 450th in QS 2019 ranking.

The Score of Top Omani Universities based on QS 2019 Global Ranking Indicators

One of the other participating countries in Meeting of Secretary Generals for ISESCO National Commissions at ISC is Mali.

The Malian representative is:

Dr. Diallo Kadia Maïga: Secretary General, Malian National Commission for UNESCO and ISESCO, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

About Mali

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa, a region geologically identified with the West African Craton. Mali is the eighth-largest country in Africa, with an area of just over 1,240,000 square kilometers (480,000 sq mi). The population of Mali is 18 million. Its capital is Bamako. The country's economy centers on agriculture and mining. Some of Mali's prominent natural resources include gold, being the third largest producer of gold in the African continent, and salt. In 2016, Mali's population was an estimated 18 million. The population is predominantly rural (68 percent in 2002), and 5–10 percent of Malians are nomadic. Mali's official language is French and over 40 African languages also are spoken by the various ethnic groups. About 80 percent of Mali's population can communicate in Bambara, which serves as an important lingua franca. An estimated 90 percent of Malians are Muslim (mostly Sunni), approximately 5 percent are Christian. The constitution establishes a secular state and provides for freedom of religion, and the government largely respects this right.

The Scientific Status of Mali

Universities of Mali have not gained any positions in reputable global rankings yet.