MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU), Pune, India, will become the first institute in Asia to house a fully functional subsea science lab thanks to Aker Solutions’ corporate responsibility initiative. The facility is aimed at providing students with firsthand practical experience in oil and gas extraction from subsea basins and represents a major advancement in technical education for the energy sector.
The lab, also known as the Vishwanath Karad Centre for Subsea Engineering Research (CSER), was jointly created by MIT-WPU and Aker Solutions. It features a scaled-down, working prototype of deepwater offshore petroleum operations, designed to replicate real-world subsea architecture and processes. Aker Solutions was responsible for the design, fabrication, installation, and commissioning of the infrastructure, while MIT-WPU provided the required space and supporting facilities.
The lab goes beyond basic training, offering hands-on experience with real-time drilling and well control systems, making it a hub for interdisciplinary research, training, and consultancy projects. It's a platform not only for students but also for industry professionals looking to enhance their skills in subsea engineering.
MIT-WPU’s Department of Petroleum Engineering is one of the oldest in India, established shortly after the founding of ISM Dhanbad’s Petroleum Engineering program in 1957. The department offers BTech and MTech programs, with an intake of 60 undergraduate and 18 postgraduate students, respectively, per year.
"The university's strong alumni network based worldwide is quite helpful for the department and current batch students to frame our courses aligned to industry perspective and current batch students to get placed in top companies and public sector undertakings," said Samarth D Patwardhan, head of the center for subsea engineering research, the lab, and practical orientation.
Looking ahead, MIT-WPU is in talks to collaborate with foreign universities that offer undergraduate programs in subsea engineering.
"The collaboration will help in the student exchange program, and the professors from the varsities will conduct classes and workshops for the MIT students," Patwardhan said.