Since 2001, Sultan Qaboos University has focused on scientific research to become an important national and regional research hub. To learn more about the university’s journey toward excellence in the field of research, I collected several datasets from the National Open Data Portal and published by Sultan Qaboos University, namely:

Research Projects by Grant Type (External, Internal, Strategic, Joint, National Research) Research Papers Published in Journals and Presented in Conferences Undergraduate Students (Diploma/Bachelor – Admitted, Registered, Graduated, by gender) Postgraduate Students (PG Diploma/Masters/Doctorates – Admitted, Registered, Graduated, by gender) Using Python, I merged these datasets, standardized and cleaned them, and then calculated the annual percentage change for key indicators (KPIs).

The data showed a steady increase in the number of active research projects, reaching 266 projects, and in some years, scientific output surpassed the 2,000-papers threshold. The study also revealed a positive relationship between postgraduate studies and research production, showing a close and direct link between the surge in postgraduate student numbers—especially PhD students, whose count more than doubled by over 125% to reach 447 students—and the sustainability of research projects. This finding suggests that investment in Higher Diploma, Master’s, and Doctoral programs is the “core driver” that powers research activity and provides the human resources required to run grants and research projects.

The data also confirmed the diversity and sustainability of research funding sources, including:

External and Internal Grants Strategic and Joint Grants National Research Grants In 2016, the university reached a peak productivity level by publishing 1,983 papers. In 2025, the number of active research projects rose to 266 projects (an annual increase of 17.2% compared with the previous year), and the allocated budget grew significantly to reach OMR 2.33 million.

Overall, the university’s research journey continues to evolve, shifting from quantity to quality and placing greater emphasis on the quality of published research.