The Petroleum Institute – University and Research Center – hosted ‘Energy’ seminar for the students of George Mason University from 10th to 14th January 2016 in the college premises. As part of their study abroad course, a group of 20 students from George Mason University attended the seminar focused on the growth of oil industry in UAE and its overall effect on the economy and energy sectors.
Dr. Ebrahim Al Hajri,Director of External Relations and Collaborations said: “The External Relations & Collaborations Department at the Petroleum Institute strives to enhance students’ academic and learning experiences by providing a range of student exchange programs. To overcome the challenges and issues that higher education faces worldwide,collaborations with national and international entities with similar sets of interest have become a necessity. Through these programs PI tries to strengthen the ties with national and international entities where partners are free to exchange, share information and expertise to achieve allied objectives.”
The 4 days seminar aimed to expose international students to the education, economics and culture of the UAE. The first two days of the seminar featured external guest speakers such asMr. Robin Mills; CEO – Qamar Energy; Mr. Abdulaziz Al Obaidli – Acting General Manager, Shams Project – MASDAR; Dr. Jane Bristol-Rhys – Faculty, Zayed University, Anthropology and Emirati History.
During the event, Mr. Robin Mills, CEO, Qamar Energy, said,
“I was very glad to be part of this seminar with so much young talent today. With all its economic, environmental and technological challenges, the energy industry needs young minds bringing novel solutions to global issues.” He explained the importance of the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA) region as the leading exporter of oil and gas to the rest of the world. He concluded with the pricing and geopolitical challenges the energy industry faces in the U.A.E., and the Middle East in general.
Excited about the session, Mr. Abdulaziz Al Obaidli – Acting General Manager, Shams Project – MASDAR, said, “TheShams project is the largest concentrated solar power plant (CSP) in operation in the world, we are proud of young Emiratis who worked on this project and the expertise they gained working closely with international companies and building a project of such scale. I am thrilled to share an overview of the project with the budding professionals of Oil and gas industry.”
Mr. Obaidli, also emphasized on the fact that Middle East and North Africa remains poised for unprecedented growth in renewable energy with nearly half of the world’s renewable energy potential.
Dr. Jane Bristol-Rhys, Faculty, Zayed University, elucidated on the Emirati history and its diverse culture. During her session she mentioned, “It’s a great opportunity for me to impart knowledge to young enthusiasts about Emirati history and its culture. Such collaborations provide students a platform which exposes them to different cultural, religious, geographic and socio-economic backgrounds. This helps students to broaden their horizon and learn new and unique experiences beyond their own communities. Also, students develop a positive outlook, understand a broader range of perspectives and hone their knowledge and skills needed for participation in a multicultural society”.
Overall, the session brought a fresh perspective pertaining to the potential changes that one might experience in the oil and gas sector and their possible impacts on U.A.E. and MENA.
The Petroleum Institute faculty speakers who participated in this lecture serues were Dr. Albert Wijeweer, Dr. Mark Hayman, Dr. Matthew Webb & Dr. Alberto Betancourt along with PI alumni speakersMs. Amna Hasan, and Dr. Emad Al Shalabi. The PI Faculty and Alumni played a vital role in this event by arranging special lectures to tackle various issues related to UAE history, culture and oil education sector.
