To improve student-to-professional membership conversion, SPE has launched the “NextGen: Early-Career Lecture Program,” a virtual globally accessible initiative that aims to equip future energy professionals with technical expertise, career insights, and meaningful engagement. This program strengthens the pipeline from academic involvement to professional membership, ensuring the vitality of the next generation in the energy industry. Here we introduce the concept and different aspects of the program.
Rebuilding the Pipeline: Lessons From the Pandemic Era
Assessment of SPE membership trends over the past decade highlights the lasting impacts of the global industry downturn in 2015 and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 on engagement across the Society (Fig. 1). Between 2019 and 2021, professional membership declined by more than 20% amid industry uncertainty, workforce reductions, and limited mobility. Reduced hiring, fewer internships, and restricted in-person interactions weakened the natural bridge between academic involvement and professional participation. Student membership followed a similar trajectory, dropping by roughly 14% during the same period.
By the end of 2022, recovery began, with both professional and student membership gradually improving. As of 2025, SPE membership has stabilized. Professional membership has maintained steady growth, while student membership has returned to near pre-pandemic levels. Student membership at 66,879 has outpaced professional membership at 63,029 as of year-end 2025. Yet less than half of student members convert to professional membership, highlighting a continuing early-career gap, and presenting an opportunity for improvement.
Demographic data further illustrate the challenge: the number of young professionals (YPs), members younger than 35, has declined significantly, with the youngest cohort (under 30) down by roughly 60% over the past decade. These trends indicate that while students remain engaged in the Society, the transition to sustained professional membership has not kept pace (Fig. 2).
This landscape highlights both the resilience of the SPE community and the ongoing need for initiatives that strengthen engagement, inspire future professionals, and bridge the gap from student participation to active professional membership.
Empowering the Future of Energy Through a Global Lecture Platform
While the pandemic presented multiple challenges to the Society, it also reshaped how members interact by fostering acceptance of virtual events, enhancing digital engagement, and strengthening the willingness to connect globally.
In late 2024, a group of senior leaders explored a simple but powerful question: how could SPE create a structured, high-impact platform to elevate engagement among students and early-career professionals worldwide?
Their discussions led to the creation of the “NextGen: Early-Career Lecture Program,” a global initiative designed to strengthen technical capability, expand professional awareness, and deepen engagement among student and YP members. By providing structured, high-value learning opportunities delivered by early-career lecturers, NextGen addresses early-career engagement challenges and strengthens the transition from academic membership to professional involvement.
The NextGen: Early-Career Lecture Program is designed to:
- Reinforce belonging: Support growth in YP engagement while safeguarding the long-term vitality of the energy profession.
- Strengthen the pipeline: Sustain student engagement beyond graduation to improve conversion to professional membership.
- Build technical competence: Deliver accessible, high-value technical content in a virtual environment.
- Enhance value perception: Provide real-world knowledge and global exposure, helping young members recognize tangible career and professional benefits.
- Support retention: Strengthen personal commitment and professional identity through structured learning, influencing long-term membership choices.
- Foster global connection: Create opportunities for students and early-career professionals to interact with peers and emerging experts worldwide, reinforcing a sense of community and collaboration.
For a pilot stage of 3 years, the program committee limited the program to six annual presentations, selecting candidates to ensure a focused and high-quality launch. Early in the third year of the pilot, the committee plans to conduct a survey and present the results to the SPE Board for consideration of the program’s continuation.
From Vision to Pilot Program
By mid-2025, a formal proposal was presented to the SPE International Board. The outcome was strong endorsement of a 3-year pilot program, followed by the formation of a volunteer committee tasked with designing and launching the initiative.
NextGen is structured as a strategic educational platform aligned with SPE’s broader mission: advancing competence, expanding awareness of leading-edge technologies, and strengthening the global professional community.
At its core, the program bridges gaps that students and YPs often experience:
- The gap between classroom theory and field application
- The gap between technical knowledge and career direction
- The gap between local experience and global industry exposure
- The gap between academic experience and presenting one’s work to a technical audience.
The program delivers fully virtual lectures at no cost to SPE students and YP members worldwide. This format ensures accessibility across regions while creating opportunities for global interaction and collaboration.
Looking ahead, the committee is evaluating hybrid formats that pairing regional in-person gatherings with global broadcast capabilities. Collaboration with local SPE sections could significantly enhance face-to-face engagement while maintaining global reach.
Building More Than Knowledge
NextGen’s objectives extend beyond technical content delivery, focusing on professional growth and career readiness.
- Strengthen understanding of emerging topics. Participants gain exposure to evolving technologies and interdisciplinary solutions, with emphasis on how diverse knowledge sources combine to generate practical insights.
- Extend learning beyond the curriculum. Lecturers provide perspective rarely found in textbooks, sharing insights drawn from real-world decision-making and operational experience.
- Inspire professional ambition. Hearing directly from accomplished peers and experts helps students understand not only what to learn, but why it matters.
- Support career alignment. Encourages early-career members to reflect on strengths, interests, and long-term aspirations, supporting informed professional decisions.
- Foster global connectivity. By connecting participants across countries and backgrounds, NextGen reinforces a sense of belonging within SPE’s international community.
- Enhance retention and engagement. Targeted, high-value lecture programming strengthens the transition from student membership to YP status.
A Distinctive Approach to Lecturer Selection
NextGen highlights high-performing students and early-career professionals who have demonstrated exceptional achievement through research publications, competition rankings, or prestigious recognition.
The selection process is guided by experienced SPE volunteers and informed by the rigorous framework used by the Society’s established Distinguished Lecturer program. Student representation within the committee ensures content aligns with participant’s needs and expectations.
By elevating rising experts, NextGen creates relatable role models (NextGen Fellows) who inspire peers while showcasing the depth of talent within the SPE community.
Leveraging Digital Infrastructure
All lectures will be delivered as interactive live webinars and archived on the SPE Energy Stream platform under a dedicated category, allowing members to access speaker profiles, presentation materials, supplementary resources, and recorded sessions. This approach ensures knowledge remains accessible beyond live sessions, supporting continuous learning and reference.
Funding and Sustainability
The pilot phase of NextGen is expected to be supported through a combination of member donations, contributions from SPE conferences, and potential support from aligned professional organizations such as AIME. This funding strategy ensures the program remains accessible to students and early-career professionals worldwide while sustaining its long-term impact.
Investing in the Future of the Energy Profession
NextGen represents more than a lecture program. It is a strategic investment in the next generation of energy professionals. By combining technical depth, global accessibility, and intentional career development, the initiative reinforces SPE’s commitment to education, engagement, and community building.
As the program launches, strong support from student chapters, young professionals, and local sections will be essential. Active participation of the attendees, advocates, or future speakers will shape its long-term impact.
The energy industry is evolving rapidly. Preparing the next generation to lead requires structured opportunities, global connection, and inspiration grounded in real experience. NextGen aims to provide exactly that.
Next Steps
The first lecture is expected to be scheduled for the second half of 2026. If you are interested in presenting your work, you can submit your presentation here or email yp@spe.org.
SPE NextGen Committee Members
Susan Howes, 2027 SPE President, Subsurface Consultants & Associates
Behrooz Fattahi, 2010 SPE President, 2014 AIME President
Hernan Buijs, SPE Distinguished Member, ADNOC
Ehsan Ranaee, 2026 SPE Student Development Committee, Politecnico di Milano
Duaa Ibrahim, 2026 SPE Young Professionals Committee (YPC), Proserv
Mahra Nasser, ADNOC
Mani Bansal, 2026 SPE YPC, Reliance Industries Ltd.
Mrigya Fogat, TWA Editor in Chief, Halliburton
James Whitaker, SPE Senior Member Program Manager