Introduction

GUtech since its inception in 2007 has demonstrated by actions and practices its commitment to sustainability. That is demonstrated in our values and in our campus – two founding stones of any institutions.

GUtech is guided by the commitment of the Sultanate and Oman and its vision 2040 that is in itself aligned to the sustainable development goals.

“GUtech is committed to ethical principles in all of its undertakings. In particular, the University welcomes students and staff from both genders, and from all ethnic, geographical, cultural and religious backgrounds. The University encourages association in peace and with tolerance, and welcomes further intercultural exchange between Oman, Germany and the World.”

Green Campus

GUtech Campus is the first green university campus in the Sultanate of Oman. The design of the Campus combines the excellence of a German University of Technology with Omani traditional building features.

The main building represents the focal point of the campus. It is a quadratic building with a side length of around 84 m with an inner quadratic courtyard with a side length of about 46 m which is shadowed by movable tarpaulins.
The use of water and energy follows three guidelines:
– Reduce
– Re-use
– Recycle
For cooling purposes, for example, the Main Building of the university campus is built according to the wind direction. Most of the seminar rooms and some offices will face shaded green courtyards with water fountains and thus create comfortable temperatures.
The student and staff houses are built with a garden-like inner courtyard. Later on, five to six of these houses will be arranged in a quadrangle as a
housing quarter, with a common courtyard as a place to meet and communicate. The distinctive building density takes into consideration traditional Omani architecture, which was formed by the necessity to create a cooling microclimate.
Shaded areas on campus invite students and staff to spend their time between and after the lectures and to relax.The Museum of History of Science was built opposite to the Main Building. Prayer rooms for male and female staff are located in the Campus at designated areas.
The Amphitheatre located in the centre of the Main Building is used for big events as well as a relaxation zone for the students with open access all day.

GUtech sustainability policy is anchored on three pillars: Learning, research, and operation and this pillars and interconnected to the three pillars of sustainable development Environment, economic and society.

Learning

GUtech offers three main degree programmes with direct link to sustainability Environmental engineering, Urban planning and architectural design and International Business and service management, which has a focus on sustainable tourism sector. Students are encouraged to write their bachelor thesis and graduation project on that topic.

Oman Sustainable Tourism Club (OSTC) is a student’s Club concerned with the promotion of Sustainable Tourism development. The club was established by GUtech on the 17th of April, 2018 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Heba Aziz.

Research

GUtech has an amazing track record in research activities focusing on sustainability.

In 2014 GUtech won Oman research centre prestigious award for designing an Eco-House as a model of green residential buildings. The eco-house is now located in the grounds of GUtech offering as a prototype unique research opportunities for the region.

In 2020 The Oman Hydrogen Centre was established at GUtech as an International Competence Hub for Research, Technology, Education, Industries Applications and Economy. The Center is the first of its kind in Oman and the GCC.
The faculty of business is considered as a centre of excellence looking at sustainable means of managing tourism and heritage. In 2016 a research project looking at the governance of sustainability for the tourism sector was conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of tourism and the Research council in Oman (TRC). Below are references to the main projects:

An Integrated Approach to Sustainable Tourism Development in the Sultanate Oman.

First International Symposium on Contemporary Earthen Building.

Operation

GUtech currently owns two water treatment plants one for treating sewage water and using the grey for irrigation and landscape. The second plant treats underground for all campus utilisations.

Success Stories