15 students from the French section went to the capital city of Muscat for an educational trip. The theme of the excursion was

"Power and Politics from a Cultural point of view".

They visited three main places:

1-      The French-Omani Museum.

2-      The National Museum.

3-      The National Parliament Buildings.

Firstly the students discovered how Oman deals with a foreign country (France) since the 17th Century, in a traditional house of the old town of Muscat. The house of the French Consul hosts nowadays the small but interesting French-Omani Museum. 

Then they experienced the way Oman narrates its own history in the brand new National Museum. The student Anwar Khamis Al Quraini said: "There are different parts in the National Museum, from old weapons to the Sultan Qaboos’ throne and clothes. What impressed me the most were the boats: the shape of them, the wood, and their use; some were for trade, others for war." Dr. Guillaume and Dr. Serge, who organized the excursion and accompanied the students, could underline the importance of French documents displayed in the Museum. Student Sara Nasser Al Saidi enjoyed greatly the visit: "I was stunned, in the section of Islamic arts, by the exhibition of an old Mihrab, the whole wall of a medieval mosque, which was transported from a distant place and remained in one piece. I was also impressed by the terrestrial globe, given to the Sultan Qaboos as a gift from French president François Mitterrand."  

Obviously, the students could also take a few photos of the Royal Palace, which was in tune with the theme of the trip: “Power and Culture.”

Finally, the group was privileged to visit the National Parliament Houses, where they were able to view the Conference Room, the magnificent library, and the Grand Assembly Room, where laws are discussed, debated, and voted upon. The visitors were hosted, and guided by Sheikh Saif Al Kindi, who directed the student’s attention to key features of the building, and answered all of their questions.

Another students, Abdullaziz Al Ghatrifi commented, "The Parliament was a good opportunity for the university to create a link with our leaders. We, the new generation, can see the decision-making process taking place in the Parliament. This is the modern way to see Omani voices heard. They also showed us a film which taught us about the beginning if the Parliament and the amazing architecture. Sheikh Saif Al Kindi and his team took very good care of us, explained everything well, and displayed great generosity and hospitality."

It was a very interesting trip, in many respects. The visit was hailed by Dr Khalfan Al Harrasi, Head of the Foreign Languages Department, of the University of Nizwa, as “Yet another example of the innovative teaching and learning experience our lecturers are providing for our students.”