Student Supporting Fund Provides Isnad Opportunities
Rawan al Nadabi
In 2004, the University of Nizwa established a supporting fund (Ma'en). It started with an ambitious initiative with a greater goal of providing help to financially distressed students until it becomes the first of its kind in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of the services and the support it offers on the level of Academic Institutions.
The Student Supporting Fund is stepping forward in Oman’s Vision 2040 by providing a diverse funding source for sustainable education. The Fund provides full and partial scholarships, with partial funding for services such as accommodation, transportation, and nourishment as well as Isnad program. Isnad is a paid training program where students are assigned tasks to complete under the supervision of a university employee.
There are three different categories of Isnad, Administrative, Technical, Academic, and Research. The administrative Isnad is for students who completed their foundation year. While Technical Isnad is for students who completed 45 credit hours with a GPA of 2.5, the Academic Isnad is for students who have completed 60 credit hours with a GPA of 3, and Research Isnad is for Ph.D. and Master students.
All Isnad students are trained in the university facilities, each category with its specified unit. Administrative Isnad is trained in the University library, departments, and deanships. Technical Isnad is trained in labs, the Natural and Medical Sciences Research Center, and the IT department. Academic Isnad is trained in the learning and enhancement centre. Research Isnad is trained in UNESCO Chair on Aflaj Studies and DARIS Centre for Scientific Research and Technology Development.
The payment earned is used to cover the students’ financial dues to the university, such as accommodation, transportation, or percentage of study fees. The student would be contributing to the payment of the fees side along with gaining experience to meet the requirement of the labour market.
Fatima al Rawahi, an Administrative Isnad Student at the Media and Marketing Department, said “I have joined the Isnad program to help in the payment of my study fees. I have gained personally from the training program as I have discovered my abilities and become more confident”
Intisar al Toubi, an administrative Isnad student at the awareness program, said “I wanted to help my family in paying my study fees, therefore, I joined Isnad Program. I have been in this Isnad for two years now and I have learned how important it is to be punctual and responsible of handing out my tasks”
Student Supporting Fund has been giving back to the University community over the past 18 years, the fund’s support in the year 2004-2005 was more than RO 730, 000, and reached by the end of the year 2020 more than one million, which is an accurate indicator of the development and support the Fund provides to the University Students.
