Ground-breaking training pact
A ceremony held earlier this week ushered in an unprecedented era of collaboration between academia, government and the petroleum industry that will expand expertise and the number of qualified personnel in the oil and gas industry in Southeast Asia.
The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) signed an agreement with the Mineral Fuels Department, the Petroleum Institute of Thailand, PTT Exploration and Production, Chevron Thailand Exploration and Production, CUEL, Thai Nippon Steel Engineering and Construction Corp, Worley Parsons (Thailand), Technip Engineering (Thailand), Foster Wheeler International Corp, and other joint project members. The AIT will offer a one-year professional master's in Offshore Technology and Management and short-term professional training courses, with on-the-job experience from the oil and gas industry. Pipop Pruecksamars, executive director of the Petroleum Institute of Thailand, said manpower would become tighter and could affect sustainable development of exploration and production in the future. "The objective of this programme is to develop our people in this area and to make sure we have enough personnel and competency in the exploration and production industry," he said. PTT Exploration and Production president Maroot Mrigadat said the company must encourage students to pursue science and technology careers. One way it can achieve this is to collaborate with institutions such as the AIT. The course begins in August at AIT's School of Engineering and Technology. Specialisation in Geo-exploration and Petroleum Geo-engineering, Offshore Structure Design and Construction, and Offshore Operation and Management will be offered via curricula derived from courses taught by experts working in the industry and those taught by academic partners. AIT president Said Irandoust said this would serve as a model for similar ventures.
|
