Ernst & Young holds Inaugural Student Excellence Awards in Muscat

Muscat, 21 October 2012: The Ernst & Young Student Excellence Awards took place at the Muscat Intercontinental Hotel yesterday, honoring Oman’s most distinguished students in the accounting and finance fields.

The winner, Noora Omar Khalfan Al Wahaibi, Sultan Qaboos University, was presented with an award by H.E. Dr. Khaled bin Mohamed Al Azri, Secretary General of Education Council as part of the gala dinner ceremony on the night. The top two runners up, Noora Abdullah Jama Bait Ishaq, Majan College and Salma Mohamed Izzat Mohamed Sadek Ismael, Modern College of Business & Science were recognized for their academic achievements with iPads, cash rewards and an opportunity to gain invaluable industry work experience with Ernst & Young.

Commenting on the awards, H.E. Dr. Khaled bin Mohamed Al Azri, Secretary General of Education Council, said: “It was a privilege to be able to distribute the Student Excellence awards to these exceptional Omani students. This initiative acts to enhance the educational standards within the Sultanate, recognizing academic excellence with opportunities befitting our students’ hard work and efforts.”

Dr. Hatem Al-Shanfari, Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at Sultan Qaboos University addressed the audience at the event, speaking about the importance of education and investing in the Sultanate’s bright, young talent.

Twenty-one shortlisted students underwent rigorous evaluation based on their academic performance, analytical skills, subject matter expertise, leadership qualities and communication and presentation skills. The top five selected universities and colleges identified for the 2012 awards included: Sultan Qaboos University; Higher Colleges of Technology; College of Banking and Financial Studies; Majan College and The Modern College for Business & Science.

Ahmed Al-Esry, Partner, Ernst & Young Oman, added: “We are thrilled to have this unique opportunity to support education and emerging talent within the Sultanate of Oman. We look forward to establishing the Awards as an annual Ernst & Young event that will expand to include more disciplines such as business management and technology. We plan to make this a national event as part of our continued commitment to investing in Oman’s next generation of innovators and business leaders.”