The Department of Chemistry began with the establishment of Sultan Qaboos University. Four departments were initially established in the college of science and the Department of Chemistry had been the major hallmark of the college since its inception.

Infrastructure, Location and Facilities

The Department occupies the second floor of the College of Science building, consists of six laboratories for undergraduate teaching, several research labs, and one glass-blowing workshop. These laboratories are equipped with wide-ranging facilities including specialized instruments such as 60MHz NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectrometer), IR (Infra-Red Spectrometer), HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatograph), GC/MS (Gas Chromatographs / Mass Spectrometer), flame photometers and UV/Vis (Ultra Violet / Visible) spectrophotometers and a laser optics lab. Over the years most of these instruments were replaced by state-of-the-art instruments including 400 MHz NMR, GC/MS, CHN analyzer, AAs, CE, CV Voltammetric Analyzer, Bipotentiostat, Rotating Disk Electrode, Low Current Module, etc. 

HoD & Faculties

The development of the Department of Chemistry has been remarkable. During the earlier years, the department had seven faculty members, five technical staff and one coordinator all of them were expatriates. The number of faculty grew from seven to twenty-nine including thirteen Omanis. The number of technical staff increased from five to seventeen technicians. The number of undergraduate students increased from eight to 75 students per cohort, and the number of MSc candidates grew from five to ten per cohort. 

 

Chronological listing of the departmental Head

 

Prof. Ralph Stock

  1986 - 1990

Prof. Stan Anderson

  1990 - 1992

Prof. Roger Decock

  1992 - 1994

Prof. John Rutherford

  1994 - 1996

Dr. Abdulrahman Abulnoor

  1996 - 2001

Prof. Salma Al-Kindy

  2001 - 2005

Prof. Mohamed Khan

  2005 - 2009

Prof. Muna Al-Mandhary

  2009 - 2011

Prof. Majekodunmi Fatope

  2011 - 2014

Dr. Haider Al-Lawati

  2014 - 2017

Prof. Fakhreldin Suliman

2017 - Present

 

Chemistry department landmarks  

First Batch of Chemistry Graduates

1991

Acquired Its First 400 MHz NMR

1997

Started MSc Program in Chemistry  

  2000

First HM funded Grant in Chemistry

2001

Establishment of Central Analytical and Research Facility

2003

A New Degree in Applied Chemistry Was Approved

2006

Department Started to Offer Ph.D. Program in Chemistry

2008

First Chemistry Alumni Congress

2008

First Ph. D. Graduate

2013

Accreditation of B. Sc. In Chemistry By Canadian Society of Chemistry

2014

First Chemistry Conference

2015

Accreditation of M.Sc. Program (Chemistry) By Royal Society of Chemistry

2016

Vision


The department of Chemistry aspires to maintain its standing as a center of excellence for training in chemistry and applied chemistry in our sub-region. The department prepares students for a competitive and challenging world. We strive to contribute to a chemically literate society through teaching (with classrooms, labs, and research), scholarship, and service.
The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to: 
  • providing a comprehensive and significant curriculum at undergraduate and postgraduate level  
  • producing career oriented and knowledgeable graduates for academic, industrial and government services.
  • committed to conducting research on fundamental and applied problems.
  • promoting the development of innovative interdisciplinary research programs.
  • independent thought, collegial exchange of ideas, and high ethical standards.
  • use of modern educational technology in lecture and laboratory courses.
  • development of strategic partnerships with other departments, academic institutions, and the chemical industry.
  • carry out world-class research and scholarly work with relevance to contemporary problems facing society and industry.

Mission


The department of chemistry's mission is to achieve excellence in the area of chemical science, research, and community service by promoting the principles of scientific analysis and creative thinking, and supporting the scientific development of Oman. The department provides rigorous preparation for citizens whose career paths require expertise in chemistry. The department is dedicated to rigorous standards for content knowledge, communication skills, research quality, and professional behavior. The mission is to educate the students on research to meet global environmental issues through chemical education. Department is committed to consolidate funding for research and development of infrastructure facilities.


HoD Message 

fakhrSuliman

It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you to the website of the Department of Chemistry at Sultan Qaboos University. Our academic, technical and administrative staff as well as our students are glad that you are taking time to visit our website to be acquainted with our programs and activities. The Department of Chemistry strives to maintain its standing as a center of excellence for training in chemistry in the region. To implement quality measures and to improve its services, the Canadian Society of Chemistry (CSC) accredited the chemistry undergraduate program for Chemistry in 2014. The department is preparing itself for the second round of accreditation by the CSC in 2019, along with the Applied Chemistry degree. On the other hand, the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) has accredited our master program in chemistry in 2015. The department's Ph.D. program is progressing very well with a more than a dozen of candidates already graduated since the inception of the program in 2008. The department is well established in terms of major instruments and human resources with 29 highly qualified faculty members having expertise and experience over a broad range of subject areas. Our faculty conduct vibrant research projects in areas of economic importance to Oman. Throughout the last two decades, they have successfully acquired generous internal and external research funds from national and international sources. Many of our faculty already have strong local and international research collaborations. A strong technical team consisting of 18 highly skilled and dedicated technicians and research associates provides excellent support to the department in teaching and research. Over the past decade, the department has succeeded in acquiring several modern instruments, such as single X-ray diffractometer, femtosecond laser system and NMR (400 MHz) equipment. These facilities are now heavily support teaching and research. Furthermore, the department has access to instruments and high performance computational facilities run by the College of Science and other several scientific research centers found in the university campus.

FakhrEldin O. Suliman, Professor (HoD)


Contact Us

Department of Chemistry 
College Of Science
Sultan Qaboos University
PO Box 36, Al Khod 123
Sultanate of Oman