SPE Aberdeen recently announced the recipients of 2021 section scholarships for students from Heriot-Watt University, Robert Gordon University, the University of Aberdeen, the University of Dundee, and the University of Strathclyde. A total of 18 students pursuing undergraduate, master’s, or PhD degrees related to the petroleum industry benefited from the program. Students receive individual bursaries based on academic work quality, contributions to the energy industry, and involvement in SPE activities.
This year, the Student Development Committee of the section, which is the responsible for the candidates selection, received more than 50 applications. As part of the selection process, out of the 18 finalists, five candidates were given the opportunity to defend and present their application to a panel of judges that included not only SPE officials, but also a board of industry professionals. Based on the final evaluation, the section granted one Outstanding Bursary for £1500, four Finalists scholarships of £1000, and 13 additional scholarships of £ 500.
The Outstanding Bursary was awarded to Georgy Borisochev, a PhD student of petroleum engineering at Heriot-Watt University. The other four finalists were Aaron Tung (University of Aberdeen), Milena Zagulak (University of Aberdeen), Yevgeniya Morrice (Heriot-Watt University), and Emmanuel Eke (Robert Gordon University).
Eke said, “The bursary awards scheme provided a great opportunity for me to interphase with current issues in the oil and gas industry. My capacity to critically research problems and propose innovative solutions was sharpened by the entire application process as I shared my responses to a judging panel comprising of elite industry personnel.”
Scholarships are being used as a tool to keep young people’s interest high in STEM-related fields in the UK. Elliot Kinch, chair of the Student Development Committee spotlighted the quality of the students and the competitiveness of the applications: “Sharing technical knowledge is at the core of SPE and as much as this applies on a peer-to-peer basis, it is even more important that we share this knowledge and support our industry’s future generation. The ongoing support of our members and the wider energy industry in Aberdeen and further afield, attending our events and remaining involved in our initiatives, makes it possible for us to fund support for students and school pupils, encouraging our industry’s next generation and future leaders. We wish all the award recipients all the best in their future studies and careers.”
[Sri Konsep Harum Wicaksono is a member of the TWA editorial committee.]