Eighteen (18) students along with two lecturers: Mr. V. Veera Nagi Reddy and Mr. N. Srinivasa Rao, and one Technician, Mr. Mohammed Abdullah Mohammed Al-Shammakhi, from the Electrical and Electronics Section visited Oman Transmission Power Grid Station in Ibri on 5th of December 2021, Sunday.
In this substation, the Voltage is stepped down from 400 KV to 220 KV to 132 KV to 33 KV and to 11 KV. Moreover, the 11 KV is further reduced to 415 V for substation lighting.
The purpose of the visit was to provide exposure for the students through real time experiences on the working system of the Transmission Lines, Underground Cables, Insulators, Circuit Breakers, Busbars, Lightning Arresters, Current Transformers, Potential Transformers, and Power Transformers.
After reaching the grid station, the Health and Safety Engineer explained the safety rules to be followed inside the station. Engineers from the Operation and Maintenance Wing of the substation gave a demonstration on:
- The process on how the substation receives Electrical Power from the Generating Stations.
- The Control Room (which has Remote Control Panels for 375/500 MVA Transformers, 220 KV Relay Panels, and 220 KV Bus Coupler).
- The Gas-Insulated Substation (where SF6 Gas is used as insulation).
- 132 KV Power Cables in the cellar.
- The methods that they adopt to control Feeders, Transformers, and Busbars.
- The 500 MVA Power Transformer.
- The Battery Room (which consists of Battery Banks of 48 Volts).
This industrial visit was organized by the OJT & Industrial Link Committee of the Engineering Department.
The ELC Students Activities Committee of UTAS-Ibri, conducted a Writing workshop for the Level 1 students on 14.11.2021 to promote and enhance English language skills. These are highly favoured in the ELC as they ensure that all students are fully prepared for their midterm and final exams.
Mr Sultan Al Sawafi, the coordinator of the Level 1 and Dr Mohsen, organized the workshop to enhance students' writing skills. It instilled confidence in students and motivated them to learn more.
The Students Activities Committee lauded the efforts of Mr Sultan Al Sawafi for his commitment and extended its heartfelt thanks.
The English Society of UTAS-Ibri ELC is always at the forefront of organizing events that motivate students to learn English through various modes and channels. The society initiated its second activity by organizing an event to promote and motivate the Foundation students on Thursday, 2 December 2021, in the ELC Shade area. Dr Abdulsalam graced the event and highlighted the role of the English Society.
The event started with a short drama by Balarab Al Shukaili, and Mohammed Al Alawi from Level 1-Group 5 entertained the young audience. The members of the society encouraged students to contribute to Hues Magazine and participate in large numbers by enrolling in the English Society programs. The competitions “Tongue Twister” and “Spell Bee” fueled the enthusiasm among the students.
Dr Mohsen thanked the English Society members for their teaching and motivating other students. He extended his heartfelt thanks to the Students Activities Committee for their support and assistance.
A webinar entitled, “High Voltage Engineering: Lightning Overvoltages and Testing Procedures”, was held on 9 December 2021, Thursday, 10 am – 12 noon, for Electrical Engineering Students in any level. The webinar covered the following topics: Sources and Classifications of Overvoltages, Lightning Mechanism and Nature of Danger, Standard and Power Frequency Testing Procedures, and etc. The webinar is well-received by the participants and they have expressed their appreciation on learning something new in the field of High Voltage Engineering.
The IT Society of the Information Technology Department organised a quiz competition, “Math Wizard 2021”, on the occasion of Oman Mathematics Day for students of UTAS, Ibri. The competition was conducted on 25 November 2021 from 10.30 to 11.30 am.
The competition focused on developing the math computing and logical reasoning skills of the students. More than 65 students from all levels registered for the competition. The quiz was attempted online on the campus of UTAS-Ibri. Students took part in the competition with a lot of interest and enthusiasm.
At the end of the session, three winners were declared. Ms Hajar Hamdan Al Maqrashi took the first place, Ms Taqwa Al Marshoudi second place, and Ms Sara Hamed Al Bahri the third place. The head of the Math section announced the winners and congratulated them. He also appreciated the staff involved in conducting the event. The head of the IT Department, Dr Amal Al Abri, encouraged students' participation in such events with her motivational speech and awarded certificates.
The feedback was collected from the participants on a scale of 5, the result of the feedback was 4.6.
The Business Studies Department organized an online workshop titled “How to Build Your Self-confidence?” on Thursday, 2nd December 2021, from 10 to 11 am. The main aim of the workshop was to educate students on the techniques and practices that they can use to enhance their level of confidence. The speaker conducted a self-test activity among students. She also highlighted some success stories for people who enhanced their self-confidence. Then, she requested students to share their personal strengths and weaknesses with real-life examples and guided them to turn their weaknesses into opportunities. At the end of the workshop, students raised their enquiries and got them clarified by the speaker.
The global spread of English has impacted teaching and learning practices and has several implications in an educational context. Some of these implications are teaching pronunciation and grammar, language assessment, and the role of learners’ first language (L1) in the context where English is used as the primary medium of instruction.
The Professional Development Committee of the English Language Centre, UTAS-Ibri, hosted a webinar titled “Global English and Teaching: Diversity and Inclusivity in Educational Settings” on Thursday, December 2, 2021. In her presentation, the guest speaker Dr Wafa Zoghbor focused on enhancing inclusivity within linguistically diverse contexts through contextualized learning and retaining individuals’ accents and cultural identity.
Profile
Dr Wafa Zoghbor is an associate professor of Applied Linguistics, Zayed University, United Arab Emirates. She is an accredited professional international trainer in strategic planning. Her research interest in applied linguistics covers phonology, ELF, Translanguaging in Higher Education, and Sociolinguistics.
The Staff Development Committee of the Business Studies Department organized an online workshop titled “Online Teaching Pedagogy for Enhanced Learner Engagement” on Thursday, 2 December 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. The workshop was delivered by Ms Puteri Sofia Amirnuddin, a Senior Law lecturer at Taylor’s University, Malaysia. She started the workshop by interacting with the participants and discussing the challenges of online teaching. Then, she discussed the skills that students need to grab job opportunities and enhance their learning experiences. She also emphasized the simulation of students learning journey and the role of speed networking to engage students in online teaching and learning based on her own experience. Moreover, she highlighted how to stimulate students’ social connectedness by using the gamification technique. At the end of the workshop, there was a Q&A session to clarify participants’ doubts and enquiries. A total of 36 faculty members attended the workshop.
Engineering Department of UTAS -Ibri organized a five day training program on “Welding Using ARC, MIG and Spot Welding Machines” from 7th November 2021to 11th November 2021. The aim of the program is to impart knowledge on different types of welding methods and hands on training to the lecturers and technicians. Mr.Stephen Leon Joseph welcomed the participants and gave the description on fundamentals of welding techniques. Mr.Perungosh Athisubbiah Khanapadi explained about TIG, MIG and Spot welding concepts and application in industry. Mr Irshad Ahmed Mathari gave the awareness on safety measures to be followed in the welding shop. The practical demonstration session of the training program was held in the welding workshop. Mr.Reynaldo Franco Santos and Mr.Sathyendran Rathinavel gave the hands on training in handling of machines and welding related TIG, MIG and Spot welding processes. At the end of the Workshop, Dr. Hamdan Al Manthari, Dean UTAS –Ibri and Mr.Nasser Al Shammakhi, Head of the Department, Engineering, distributed the appreciation certificates to all the participants. Dr. B.Geetha Baskaran, Head of Section i/c, Mechanical Engineering Section, proposed the vote of thanks. The practice session was well received by the participants with individual hands on training and interaction.
The Staff development Committee of Engineering Department organized a webinar program on “3D Printing: Techniques and Modern Applications” on 18th Nov 2021 from 1.00 pm to 2.00 pm. The program was delivered by external speaker Dr. Jenson Joseph, HOD, Automobile Engineering, SCMS School of Engineering, Eranakulam, Kerala, India. He started his presentation with an overview to additive manufacturing and highlighted the steps followed in 3D printing. Followed by he explained the different methodologies and technique used in 3D printing, such as stereolithography, Fused deposition modeling and selective layer sintering etc. The application of 3D printers in medical, engineering and construction field were also explained in the presentation. He demonstrated the different 3D printing techniques through video demos. Finally, he illuminated the 3D printing benefits and its value in the context of customization, complexity and environment etc. The staff members were benefitted with the presentation, it was very useful and effective.
