British Omani Society Essay Competition
The British Omani Society, in partnership with the Arab Digest, is proud to announce an essay competition. The Society invites Year 12 and Year 13 (16-18y) students to submit a 1500-word essay on a topic focussing on, or closely related to, the Sultanate of Oman. Entrants may choose their own subject, for example on the history, politics, economics or social and cultural affairs of Oman, or may answer one of the questions shown below.
Essays will be judged by a panel composed of Trustees and Vice-Presidents of the Society. The winner will receive a prize of £300, and there will be two runner-up prizes of £200, and three of £100. All prize-winners will be invited to visit the Society’s headquarters in London, and may have an opportunity to speak about their chosen topic to the members of the Society. The winning essay will be published in the Society’s annual Review.
Entrants who do not choose their own topic may answer one of the following questions:
a) How can Oman’s society and economy adapt to circumstances of low global prices for oil and gas? Are there opportunities for development of other sectors (for example tourism, digital-based industries), and, if so, what policies should the government adopt? How might Britain assist?
b) Sayyid Sa’id bin Sultan and HM Sultan Qaboos bin Sa’id were both Rulers for just under 50 years. Compare and contrast these two distinguished figures.
c) How do you assess the rôle of British policy towards Oman in the first half of the 20th century?
d) Omani society is considered to be highly tolerant, particularly in matters of religion. Do you agree? If so, do you attribute this to the nature of Ibadi Islam, the prevalent sect in Oman, and/or to other factors?
e) Describe the monarchical system of government, combined with structures for shura (consultation), as practised in Oman, and assess its suitability for a relatively traditional society facing the challenges of the 21st century.
Entries must be submitted by midnight on 31 July and submitted to manager@ao-soc.org
The Arab Digest are offering a new student discount of 70% off the subscription price
Rules
- The British Omani Society 2020 competition is open to all year 12 and year 13 students studying for A-Level or the International Baccalaureat either in the UK or internationally.
- Immediate family members of Trustees, Vice-Presidents or employees of the Society are not eligible to take part in the Competition. The competition is free to enter and only one entry is permitted per student.
- It is the responsibility of entrants to ensure that they are able to participate in the Competition in compliance with local laws and regulations.
- All entries must be submitted by email to the Manager of the British Omani Society, using as a cover page the form provided on the Society’s web-site, www.ao-soc.org. Hard copies cannot be accepted. Entrants must include their contact details on this form.
- All entries should be submitted in either Microsoft Word or PDF format
- Entrants should not receive any assistance except for proofreading or for accessibility purposes. Entrants must provide details of any assistance received.
- Entrants agree that their entry is their own work, written solely for the purpose of the Competition, and warrant that their entry does not breach any applicable laws or regulations or infringe any third intellectual property or privacy rights, and is not in any way libellous, defamatory, obscene, indecent, harassing or threatening.
- Entries will be judged anonymously. Entrants should therefore not include their name or school on the essay.
- Essays should be a maximum of 1,500 words excluding references. References to works consulted, particularly when text is reproduced or quoted, must be shown in footnotes. A bibliography may be appended (and will not be counted in the word-count), but is not essential.
- Entries in response to each question will be judged according to their originality, quality of writing, and quality of the argument.
- A judging panel consisting of the Chairman of the Society, the Editor of Arab Digest and two Trustees or Vice-Presidents will select the six winners. The names of the judging panel will be made available on request. The judges' decisions shall be final. No correspondence regarding the results will be entered into.
- The names and schools of entries shortlisted and the winners will be published on the Society’s website and social media along with those essays which the judging panel merit publication.
- Any personal data which may be submitted in an entry will be processed by the Society in accordance with any applicable data protection legislation.
- The best overall essay will win £300. The winner will also have the opportunity for their essay to be published in the Society’s Review and the Arab Digest, subject to the approval of the editors. The winner will also receive a free one year subscription to the Arab Digest. Unless agreed otherwise, entrants retain ownership over their entry to the Competition. By submitting an entry, entrants grant the Society a worldwide, non-exclusive, sub-licensable, irrevocable and royalty-free licence to use, display, publish, transmit, copy and edit the entry, in whole or in part, in any way and in any media, whether now known or invented in the future.
- Provided essays of adequate quality are submitted, two runner-up prizes of £200 each, and three further prizes of £100 each will be awarded. In addition, the winner will receive a free one year subscription to the Arab Digest.
- No entry can win more than one prize. The prizes are non-exchangeable, non-transferable and no alternative is offered.
- The Society reserves the right to replace the prizes with alternative prizes of equal or higher value if necessary, and to cancel, amend or suspend the Competition, or any part of it (including these Terms and Conditions) as required by the circumstances.
- The winners will be notified by email or telephone or in writing (using the details provided at entry) and will be invited to a prize-giving ceremony at the Society’s headquarters in London. If the prizes are declined or unclaimed by a winner, or if a winner cannot be contacted from the details supplied within 15 business days of notification, a replacement winner may be chosen at the Society’s discretion and will be notified by the Society. The original entry that was chosen will then be forfeited. The Society will not be liable for any failure, delay or inability to contact a winner
- The deadline for submissions is midnight on 31 July 2020.
- The Society accepts no responsibility for any technical failures which may result in any entry being lost, corrupted or not properly registered. No responsibility will be taken for damaged or lost entries.
- The Society cannot accept responsibility for or liability arising from entrants taking part in the Competition or for taking up the prizes. The Society gives no warranty or guarantee in relation to the prizes and accepts no responsibility or liability for the prizes being amended. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Society excludes liability for all loss, damage or claim arising as a result of a participant's entry into the Competition or use of the prizes (save in the case of death or personal injury caused by the negligence of the Society).
- By entering the Competition, entrants agree to hold the Society harmless for liability, damages or claims for injury or loss to any person or property, relating to, directly or indirectly, participation in this Competition, or claims based on publicity rights, third party intellectual property rights, defamation or invasion of privacy
- The Society reserves the right to refuse entry or to refuse to award a prize to anyone in breach of the Rules.
- These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. Disputes arising in connection with this Competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
- The promoter is the British Omani Society, 34 Sackville Street, London, W1S 3ED.
Cover Page
[cover page]
(For administration use only:
Entry no: …………………………)
Name of Entrant ……………………………………………………..
School …………………………………………………….
Year of study (12 or 13)
Postal address for correspondence ……………………………………………………………………..
……………………………………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………….
Email address …………………………………..
Chosen topic or question ……………………………………………………………………………….
Signature: …………………………………………………
Date: ………………………………………………..