March 11, 2004

Dear Students,

I am glad to announce that we have completely modified the university list section of the Cultural Division website. The section provides a list of Universities and Colleges that has been developed to reflect the needs and interests of the Sultanate of Oman and its students. This list is intended to be a guide for Omani nationals seeking information on U.S. and Canadian universities.

The primary criteria for selecting universities to the List of Recommended Schools are the regional and professional accreditation of institutions and their programs. In academic disciplines with no professional accreditation, other factors were considered. These factors include the ranking and reputation of the university, the admission standards and recruitment practices of schools, the performances of students while enrolled at these schools, and the later careers and professional successes of these students. It was also considered important for the universities to offer strong graduate and research programs of particular interest to Oman.

The U.S. Department of Education and/or the American Council on Education recognizes all accrediting agencies upon whose recognition this list is based.

This list is indexed by majors and fields of study. If you need more information about the approved schools please contact your Embassy Academic Advisors .

If you have any friends and relatives who are prospective students, this list will be useful for them as well.

To go directly to the university list please click on the following links: http://www.omani.info/university.htm

The Cultural Division aims to help make your experience as an international student a success. We hope that the updated university list and the www.omani.info website would help you. For any comments or suggestions please send it to admin@omani.info.

Sincerely,

Dr. Talib Al-Salmi

Cultural Attaché