SPE Aberdeen Awards Students Bursaries

The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Aberdeen Section has announced the recipients of its annual student bursaries programme for 2015-2016.
 
In total, £7,500 was awarded to seven students attending Aberdeen, Robert Gordon, Dundee, Heriot-Watt and Strathclyde universities. Almost 100 applications were received and for the first time this year, the shortlisted finalists were invited to present one of their answers from their bursary application to a panel of judges before the final recipients were selected.
 
Two bursaries of £2,500, were awarded to Andrew MacDonald, MEng Mechanical and Offshore Engineering student at Robert Gordon University, and Mohammed Mehdi Walji, MSc Petroleum Engineering student at Heriot Watt University.
 
Mr MacDonald’s chosen topic was entitled: ‘How can innovation from other industries improve efficiency in the energy sector?’, whilst Mr Walji presented: ‘Recruitment/apprenticeships are often impacted by industry downturns - what would you suggest are the best ideas for graduates to distinguish themselves or outshine others?’
 
A further £500 was awarded to five other students to help with their studies: Adam Zalewski, MSc Petroleum Engineering, University of Aberdeen, Edris Joonaki, PhD Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Alexandra Kuznetsova, PhD Petroleum Engineering, Heriot Watt University, Rachael Hunter, PhD Applied Geoscience, Heriot Watt University and Naroshinii Annaselam, MEng Naval Architecture with Ocean Engineering, University of Strathclyde.
 
All students were awarded their bursaries by Katy Heidenreich, Student Development Committee Co-Chair, at the SPE Aberdeen Section evening meeting in March where Mr MacDonald and Mr Walji also gave their winning presentations.
 
On receiving his award, Mr MacDonald explained: “I applied for this bursary because as an international student, I don’t receive financial support from the government or university and tuition fees can be expensive.  The bursary grant will allow me to complete my Masters degree and concentrate on producing quality research by covering my academic expenses and other costs associated with attending university.”
 
Mr Walji added: “It is truly an honour to receive such an award, and I plan to use it to deliver two of my aims. Firstly, I would like to develop my own technical skills and enhance my programming skills. Secondly, I intend to create an online platform for high school students thinking of pursuing a career in the industry. As a home student, whilst in high school, there was very little information on what UK positions were available within the industry and I hope to address this for the next generation."
 
SPE Aberdeen chairman, Ian Phillips, said: “We are particularly proud of our annual student bursary scheme and were delighted to receive so many applications at such a high standard.  It is vital now more than ever that we continue to support the young people keen to enter our industry.
“The support which our events receive from the industry and the commitment from our volunteers makes our bursary scheme possible and enables us to continue inspiring the next generation. I would like to congratulate all the winners and wish them well in their future careers in the industry.”
 
The funding was awarded to those studying a degree relevant to the oil and gas industry, at an under-graduate, post-graduate or PhD level. Students were required to demonstrate an intention of working in the oil and gas industry on completion of their studies, as well as academic merit and active involvement in the SPE.
 
SPE Aberdeen’s Student Development Committee, which is responsible for awarding the annual bursaries, consists of industry professionals, representatives of SPE Aberdeen student chapters and academic sponsors. The committee provides opportunities for Scottish university students to enhance their technical knowledge and professional competence through industry events and specialised conferences, as well as more informal meetings.