Licencing of first programme at PhD level for private college approved By: ONA Muscat: The Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation, represented by the Institutions and Programmes Licencing Committee, has approved licencing of the first programme at the PhD level for a private college which is the University of Nizwa, under the name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry. Fadia bint Saif Al Ma’ani, director of the programmes supervision department at the Directorate General of Private Universities and Colleges said that the Ministry has agreed for the private universities, as a first step, to apply for licencing programmes at the PhD level as part of the Ministry’s belief on the significance of PhD programmes for achievement of comprehensive development and for creation of scientific and research environment that contribute to the country’s development.