Omani students showcase country

Omani Students Society in London (OSSL) recently organised their first knowledge-sharing programme, 'Talk of the Season'. The programme aimed at showcasing the potential of Omani students to the academic community around the world. Speaking on the occasion, Abdulaziz Al Balushi, president of OSSL and a Ph.D student at Imperial College London, said, "Through the 'Talk of the Season' we want to showcase our beloved country." Abdallah Daar, professor of Public Health Sciences and Surgery at University of Toronto, was the first speaker at the event. Daar is the director of ethics and commercialisation at the McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health, UHN and University of Toronto. Prof Daar spoke about his experiences in Oman and the Gulf countries since the 1970s, which involved kidney transplants and the opening of medical schools in Abu Dhabi and Oman. He also spoke about his relocation to Canada and his accomplishments at the University of Toronto and the support he has received from the university and the Canadian government for lab research. Prof Daar discussed his shift from surgeries to public health and the personal reasons behind that move. He spoke about global public health and its importance and his involvement with the United Nations on public health. Currently, Prof Daar is conducting research with an eye on transglobal health. He stressed the importance of tapping into the potential of the Third World and developing countries, and how developed countries can benefit from the developing countries and vice-versa. The participants at the event included Prof. Alimuddin Zumla, director of the centre for infectious diseases and international health at University College Medical School, Rifat Atun, professor of International Health Management at Imperial College London, Dr Peggy Frith, deputy director of clinical studies at Oxford University Medical School, Dianne Rekow, dean of the dental institute and Professor of Orthodontics at Kings College London, Dorothea Kanthak, UCL institute for global health, Prof John Fabre, Kings College, London, Prof Majeed Azeem, head of the department of primary care and public health at Imperial College London, Prof Richard Thompson, dean of the faculty of natural sciences, Sheikh and Abdulaziz Al Hinai, ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the UK The Cultural Attache of the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Dr Mohammed Al Bandari, Information Attache of the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, Abdullah Al Abri and other embassy officials from the Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, and several faculty members and students from various colleges and universities in England attended the event. Successful show Prof. Richard Thompson who attended the function, said, "Thank you for the invitation to this excellent event.  I am very pleased that I was able to attend the event." Professor Alimuddin Zumla congratulated the organisers "for a wonderful and successful show and for the hospitality." Dorothea Kanthack said, "Thank you very much for the wonderful event and congratulations for making it a grand success. I was especially glad to see that in his presentation, Prof Daar put an emphasis on the growing burden of chronic noncommunicable diseases and highlighted his involvement in the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases." Times Of Oman