Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Gets Donations for Petroleum Engineering Software Licences

Heriot-Watt University Malaysia received a generous donation for 62 software programme licences from Schlumberger, a leading supplier of technology and integrated solutions in the oil and gas industry, recently. These programmes will be used for several of the university’s petroleum engineering courses, including drilling, geochemistry, geology, geophysics, information management, petroleum systems, production engineering and reservoir engineering.

The Software License Agreement signing ceremony was held on 29 September 2015. Representatives from Schlumberger included VP & General Manager Maen Razouqi and Operations Manager Christopher Singh, while Heriot-Watt University Malaysia was represented by Chief Operating Officer and Registrar Janice Yew, Head of School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society Khalik bin Mohamad Sabil and Head of Marketing and Student Recruitment Lim Ming Hsiang. 

The software programmes are anticipated to bring great benefit to the university’s School of Engineering and Physical Sciences and School of Energy, Geoscience, Infrastructure and Society. According to Prof Robert Craik, Provost and Chief Executive Officer of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, “These software programmes will enable our students to practically apply what they have learned in theory and better understand their fields of study.”

The university is among only a handful of universities in the country that have been offered this donation by Schlumberger. This contribution will not only enrich students’ learning experiences but also enhance the university’s research capabilities and, ultimately, increase the supply of capable professionals to meet the industry’s ever-growing demands as Malaysia moves towards becoming a leading hub for oil field services.

“There is expected to be an increase in demand for Petroleum Engineering graduates. In fact, prominent job portal Jobstreet has reported that engineers in the oil and gas industry command one of the highest salaries in the country,” elaborated Khalik.

Heriot-Watt University has a well-established relationship with Schlumberger that encompasses scholarship awards as well as partnerships for student training and distance learning programmes. In fact, many of the university’s former students are currently employed at the organisation. Schlumberger has an 80-year-old presence in Malaysia and has voiced its eagerness to employ Heriot-Watt University Malaysia’s graduates. Plans are also afoot for Schlumberger Malaysia to offer internship programmes to the university’s undergraduate students in the near future.

A part of Heriot-Watt University, a leading British institution for applied research and an internationally recognised centre for high calibre activity in Science, Technology and Business, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia officially opened the doors of its state-of-the-art green campus in Putrajaya in February 2015. The university offers a variety of programmes at foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Among others, it provides tailored pathways for those looking for a career in the oil and gas industry, where students can begin with its Foundation of Science programme and move on to its BEng (Hons) Petroleum Engineering programme before progressing to its MEng Petroleum Engineering programme.

For more information on the programmes and scholarships offered at Heriot-Watt University Malaysia, visit its campus in Putrajaya, log on to www.hw.edu.my or call +603 8894 3888/e-mail [email protected].