PCEES – the Reason
It is always wonderful when at a time of hardship, alumni and other petroleum engineering professionals come back to support their programs and faculty. Petroleum and chemical engineering faculties especially in Africa face difficult situations in several settings and need every help to preserve these programs. As I introduce PCEES on this disruptive post COVID-19 era, with the support of my longtime first-class University of Benin undergraduate schoolmates, friends and partners, Nkem Ejiofor and Solomon Imie as trustees, it’s only proper that I clarify the raison d’être for doing so. As the first graduate of tight gas engineering at the University of Schulich’s School of Engineering – the first to complete a graduate degree in that field of specialty at the top Canadian school in 2009, under the tutelage of some of the world’s best, Profs. Roberto Aguilera, Tom Harding, and Sudarshan (Raj) Mehta, I have every reason to give back. Perhaps the foundational driver for PCEES is inherent because my family has a legacy of people who put appropriate values on education.
Therefore, in a way, PCEES honors the memory of my parents. After more than 20 years’ experience in various petroleum engineering positions in leading service and oil companies, my work has taken me to Africa, Europe, North America and the Middle East. Assisting the younger generation is the right thing to do as the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) International Distinguished Lecturer and global representative for 2020-2021.
PCEES represents service above self and is the contribution of experienced professionals and industry to invest in creative minds and enhance the teaching of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering in tertiary educational institutions. Through the not-for-profit platform, we hope to turn the fortunes of the younger generation around by providing financial and material support for students, lecturers and institutions carrying out research in the areas of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering. By so doing, we would promote the principles and practice of research and development in the fields of petroleum and chemical engineering. Our vision is to evolve into a medium for international exchange of technologies in the field of petroleum and chemical engineering. We would build bridges of friendship between academia and industry; use the bridges for consistent knowledge transfer, capacity development, and building student and faculty motivation.
We hope PCEES as an intervention vehicle will spur social progress and economic development through facilitating excellence in petroleum and chemical engineering education in Nigeria, Africa, and the world. A longer strategic vision is to enhance employability of petroleum and chemical engineering graduates and hence contribute to wealth creation. I hope I speak to your heart when I ask you to collaborate with us to ensure success of the PCEES vision and contribute your quota to help these schools leapfrog inequality and improve the access to, quality (through curriculum reform) and relevance of our petroleum and chemical engineering education system.
My best,
James Arukhe, D.M.