A New Breed of Petroleum Engineering Education in the Middle East

Abstract

TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractAs the desire for nationalizing the work force in many Middle Eastern national oil companies increases, there is an increased need to provide suitable educational programs to produce highly qualified native engineers. While petroleum engineering university graduates in the Middle East will face many of the same technical issues as their counterparts around the world, the nature of their employment and their career progression can be significantly different. The unique structure of many of the national oil companies in the Middle East as well as the unique student pool allows and calls for the establishment of petroleum engineering education programs that may differ from programs in other regions of the world. This may involve modifying the structure and delivery of traditional courses of study. Universities in the region are faced with the challenge of developing programs that can more effectively address these unique needs while maintaining academic integrity and rigor, and meeting international standards for academic accreditation and excellence. This paper discusses the nature and needs of the regions employers and potential employees, and the response of regional academic institutions to cater to these needs. Examples are given demonstrating the efforts at some regional universities that are attempting to address the specific needs of the regional industry while achieving and maintaining international standards of excellence.