The Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Education, has signed a scientific and technical cooperation agreement with the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) at the Organisation’s headquarters in Geneva, in a move that enhances the presence of Oman in the international scientific research system.

The agreement was signed on behalf of Oman by Mahmoud bin Hamad Alhasani, Ambassador of the Sultanate of Oman to the Swiss Confederation, and on behalf of CERN by , Professor Mark Thomson, Director General of the European Organisation for Nuclear Research.

The agreement sets out a framework for joint cooperation in the field of high energy physics, which includes the exchange of scientific cadres, knowledge and equipment. It allows Omani scientists, engineers and students to join CERN’s research and training programmes in the specialties of experimental and theoretical physics, accelerator engineering, computing, artificial intelligence, information security, and advanced materials science.

Ambassador Alhasani said that the partnership demonstrates a clear direction, led by His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, towards building a knowledge economy. He added  that the agreement opens the doors of cooperation to Omani cadres with one of the most prestigious research centres in the world.

The agreement runs for a five-year period that can be automatically renewed and establishes a mechanism for concluding detailed protocols with scientific and university institutions in Oman, allowing cooperation to be translated into measurable research projects.

The European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is one of the most prominent scientific research centres in the world, with 23 member countries, with many countries cooperating within the framework of similar agreements.