Muscat: The latest ranking places SQU closer to its strategic goal of joining the world’s top 300 universities, in line with the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.

His Highness Sayyid Dr. Fahd bin Al-Julanda Al Said, President of Sultan Qaboos University, described the ranking as a reflection of the collective efforts of the university’s faculty, researchers, students, and partners.

“The university’s achievement of ranking 306th globally in the QS World University Rankings for 2027 embodies the efforts of its members in the fields of education, scientific research and strategic partnerships, and confirms its advanced position among global universities,” he said.

His Highness added that the accomplishment was made possible through the continued support provided to the higher education sector under the leadership of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, and reflects the Sultanate’s progress towards enhancing its global competitiveness in knowledge and innovation.

The QS World University Rankings 2027 evaluated 8,808 universities from 106 countries, with only 1,504 institutions making the final ranking list. This year’s edition also saw 94 new universities enter the global rankings.

The rankings are based on nine key indicators, including academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations, faculty-to-student ratio, international faculty and student presence, international research collaborations, employment outcomes, and sustainability performance.

SQU recorded notable improvements across several indicators, particularly employer reputation, research citations, international research networks, and graduate employment outcomes.

To strengthen its employer reputation, the university intensified collaboration with public and private sector employers, aligned academic programmes with labour market requirements, organised career fairs and professional development events, and conducted awareness initiatives highlighting the importance of employer engagement.

The university also hosted the Sultan Qaboos University Employers Forum, which examined key challenges and produced recommendations aimed at enhancing the institution’s professional standing. Efforts were further supported by the expansion of employer databases and strengthened communication channels with industry stakeholders.

In the area of employment outcomes, SQU enhanced the quality and accuracy of graduate data through collaboration with the National Records Centre of the Royal Oman Police. These efforts, alongside support from the Ministry of Economy for strategic projects related to global rankings, contributed to improving the university’s standing in this category.

The university also launched several initiatives to boost research impact and international collaboration, including programmes supporting scientific publishing and participation in international conferences. These measures have helped increase the quality, visibility, and global reach of SQU’s research output.