Khalifa University and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) have announced the launch of a two-year Ro’ya programme for high school students to educate them on the UAE’s oil and gas sector.
The programme that aims to raise awareness among the students about undertaking Petroleum Engineering-related academic majors and potential careers in the oil and gas sector, kicked off this summer.
The Ro’ya initiative reinforces ADNOC’s corporate social responsibility efforts to invest in the education and development of the students and enable them to contribute to the nation’s long-term economic growth. It also reflects the status of Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering Department, which is ranked 21st globally in the 2021 QS (Quacquarelli Symonds) World University Rankings by Subject.
Dr. Ahmed Al Shoaibi, Senior Vice President, Academic and Student Services, Khalifa University, said, “We are glad to partner with ADNOC for the Ro’ya summer programme that is designed to provide students with the right perspectives as they look forward to planning and choosing their future academic course. Khalifa University’s Petroleum Engineering programme is ranked 24th globally, demonstrating the world-class quality of our faculty, cutting-edge laboratories, research centres, and state-of-the-art campus facilities that create the most advanced learning environment.”
Ghannam AlMazrouei, ADNOC Director, Group Human Capital Directorate, said, “ADNOC is committed to supporting the development of the next generation of skilled workforce across the UAE’s oil and gas value chain and so we are pleased to partner with Khalifa University on the Ro’ya programme. We will continue to invest in STEM-related educational programmes and initiatives to empower and foster our youth and help them build successful careers, in line with the UAE Centennial 2071 vision.”
The programme will have two parts. The initial segment ran virtually from 11th July to 5th August, 2021, and combined practical hands-on training, laboratory work, interactions with professional organisations, and project assignments related to the oil and gas industry, all virtually. In the second segment, Grade 11 students will have a one-week internship at Khalifa University that will include workshops and project presentations from December to January 2022, which will lead to another three-week programme the following summer. University faculty will be in touch with the students over the entire period and support their projects.
The Outreach Department’s programme for high school students from ADNOC Technical Institutes will involve Khalifa University’s Geoscience and Petroleum Engineering departments.
The first week of the initial segment of the programme included virtual tours of ADNOC’s Panorama Digital Command Centre and Thamama Centre of Excellence, and presentations on geology from relative to absolute dating, as well as palaeontology, stratigraphy, correlation techniques, and isotopes. The week also covered scales in geology from small to large, microscopy, fieldwork, seismic reflection geophysics, and reservoir characterisation. Participants learnt about the geology of the Middle East and worked together to build a geologic model of a field.
The second week introduced students to oilfield services company Schlumberger, with tours of its Al Shamkhah Technical Learning Centre in Abu Dhabi. The week also included visits to Khalifa University’s Reservoir Rock Properties Lab, Reservoir Fluids Properties Lab, Well Drilling and Drilling Fluids Lab, and the Petroleum Reservoir Simulation Lab.
In the final week, participants received presentations from professional organisations such as the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG). Interactions with the alumni and current Khalifa University students were also part of the agenda during the week. Other events included sessions on “Lead with Ro’ya” and a workshop on webpage development, as well as a visual interactive platform for exploration and production in the oil and gas industry.
