GUtech professor receives national research award for addressing transportation services redundancy

GUtech professor receives national research award for addressing transportation services redundancy

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Prof. Dr. Nafaa Jabeur, Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Science at GUtech, alongside co-researchers from Dhofar University, has received the National Research Award during the seventh cycle of the Annual Research Forum organised by the Research and Innovation Sector of the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (MoHERI).

Dr. Nafaa and his colleagues’ paper, “Transportation Service Redundancy from a Spatio-Temporal Perspective” won in the Information Systems and Communication Technologies field.

The winning research addresses the mismatch between demand and supply for taxi services in big cities. Dr. Nafaa explained that: “To address this discrepancy, we used the concept of service redundancy. More specifically, we modelled citywide taxi service redundancy as an explicit spatio-temporal phenomenon. We deployed Machine Learning techniques to qualify this redundancy in space and time. We proposed an agent-based collaborative scheme for the calculation, collection, and control of service redundancy at three different levels: namely micro level (service redundancy at the immediate surroundings of individual taxis), meso level (redundancy at taxi operators’ level), and macro level (service redundancy at a city level).” “Taxi operators are relying on several strategies to optimize the commutes of their fleets through the cities, without being successful in avoiding long empty-cruise time as well as considerable waste of fuel.” The results of the “intensive simulation experiments showed a significant decrease of imbalance in city-wide transportation supply-demand as well as a better trade-off between customers’ satisfaction and taxis’ profits,” he added.

Prof. Nafaa holds a PhD in Computer Science from Laval University in Canada. He has been working at GUtech since 2013. Prof. Nafaa is also GUtech’s Director of Research. His research interest includes sensor web, sensor networks, and wireless sensor networks; cyber-physical systems.

 

(c) Text: GUtech/ Fatima El Madkouri & Prof. Dr. Nafaa Jabeur

 

The Global Executive MBA at the WU Executive Academy of the University of Vienna University of Business and Economics, now stands at the 32nd place globally.

WU MBA, offered in Oman at GUtech, Jumps in Financial Times Ranking

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Jumping 16 spots in the Financial Times 2020 Executive MBA rankings, the Global Executive MBA at the WU Executive Academy of the University of Vienna University of Business and Economics, now stands at the 32nd place globally.

The Executive MBA by the WU Executive Academy is offered in Oman in collaboration with the German University of Technology in Oman. Currently, 19 students are enrolled in the programme at GUtech campus and another intake is due to start in February 2021.

The #32 ranking offers greater value to WU alumni, students, and prospective candidates. “We are very proud of our partnership with the Executive Academy of Vienna University for Economic and Business; we have excellent feedback from our current students who could see the added value that such a global programme offers them. Our unique offering of a double degree is very well received by our students, we are now recruiting for our new batch starting in February 2021.” Commented Prof Dr Heba Aziz, the Director of WU-GUtech MBA.

Joining the ranks of the world’s Top 50 Business Schools for its Executive MBA programme, the Financial Times 2020 ranking confirms the Executive MBA excellent standing. This achievement is a testament to the quality of the ongoing global success of the Executive MBA.

Financial Times Ranking for the EMBA programmes is open for business schools that are either AACBS or EQUIS accredited. It requires responses from alumni on five criteria: salary today which carries the most weight, salary increase, career progress, work experience, and aims achieved.

The WU Executive Academy is also the recipient of the coveted “triple crown” accreditation status. It is recognised by the three most prestigious international accrediting bodies: AACSB, EQUIS, and AMBA.

Global Handwashing Day: Water and regular soap work just fine for removing germs

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On 15 October, we celebrate The Global Handwashing Day. This year, handwashing has become one of the crucial habits to help halt the COVID-19 pandemic from spreading wildly.

So, do people wash their hands as regularly as they should?

The reality is, many people don’t wash their hands as often as they should. And that’s a problem when it comes to bacteria and virus transmission, says Dr Mohamed Al Busafi of Royal Hospital and MBA candidate at GUtech. Then, he added that the Global Handwashing Day is a great time for people to consider their handwashing habits.

“If more people washed their hands often and thoroughly, fewer people would get sick.” Al Busafi said.

When should you wash your hands?

“Wash your hands anytime you touch something that could carry germs.” Al Busafi warned. Door handles and stairs banisters are a high carrier of germs as staff and students touch them throughout the day.

How should you wash your hands?

For a start, wet your hands and then apply soap, ideally liquid soap rather than bar soap, which can host germs, Al Busafi said. “Scrub between your fingers for at least 20 seconds. Dry with a clean tissue and use it to close the tap then throw it in the bin.” He added.

What kinds of soap should you use?

Any regular soap works just fine for removing germs and cleaning your hands, Al Busafi explained. “You can also use alcohol-based sanitisers which should have at least 70% alcohol to replace soap. You can carry them in your pockets and make it a habit to use them whenever you touch a surface or get in touch with a probably contaminated object.” Al Busafi advised.

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