Oman is considering adopting the latest e-governance technology, including blockchain. While much research was conducted into the benefits and risks of blockchain in information systems and finance fields, fewer researchers investigated the opportunities and risks associated with adopting blockchain frameworks for governance and public administration, especially in highly bureaucratic, centralized rentier states, such as Oman. As the first phase of an exploratory sequential mixed-methods study, our purpose was to identify key governance problems in contemporary Oman and analyze each problem against evidence drawn from the relevant parts of the blockchain and e-governance literature to evaluate the potential utility, risks and limitations associated with adopting block-chained e-governance solutions in the Sultanate. Our initial results indicate that there are advantages for states, such as Oman, from being an early mover into block-chained e-governance systems, including greater cost efficiency, drastically improved accuracy and reliability of information systems, transparency and accountability of public services, and an upgrade in the overall level of legitimacy and public trust in the institutions of governance. However, more research into the risks related to reconciling block-chained systems with the dynamics of labor, tax reforms and centralized authority in a rentier social contract is required.
Drawing on a five‑year participant‑observer study the evolution of politics education in the Sultanate of Oman from 2012 to 2019 is discussed. The aim is to shed light on the significance and implications of new explicitly politics‑related curricula introduced at Sultan Qaboos University shortly after ‘Arab Spring’ protests shook the country in 2011. The argument is presented that Oman stands at a pivotal juncture in its education policy in the humanities and the social sciences. The choice is between retreating into the type of state‑centric and uncritical curricula common among the authoritarian systems of the Middle East and North Africa, or continuing the partial opening of an educational evolution that could more effectively equip the next generation of Omani leaders to help face challenges that lie ahead.
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