oil & gas

UG's Technology Faculty to be among key beneficiaries of $100M GGMC grant

The Guyana Geology and Mines Com-mission (GGMC) through the Ministry of Natural Resources has awarded a grant for a total of $100 million to the University of Guyana (UG) for the Faculty of Technology, supporting programmes, research and scholarships.

Minister of Natural Resources Raphael Trotman, who engineered the grant, and UG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ivelaw Griffith signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the grant, described as one of the biggest the university has received, at the latter’s office yesterday.

According to Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin, the grant was negotiated over an 11-month period as the GGMC had to satisfy certain conditions under its Act in order for the money to be disbursed.

A cheque for $45 million was handed over by the minister and Mohamed-Martin explained that the remaining $55 million would be used to purchase needed equipment and supplies for the Faculty of Technology.

Another $15 million will go towards training and scholarships at the institution and $16 million will go towards the improvement of classrooms and teaching facilities for allied and supporting programmes in the faculties of Health Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Agriculture, the Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) and the Tain Campus in Berbice.

Funding will also be channeled towards supporting the School of Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation programmes, with an emphasis on the natural resources sector and to support research, curriculum review and development processes, marketing, media and stakeholder consultations.

UG yesterday said that the GGMC has been a longstanding partner of the faculties of Technology, and Earth and Environmental Sciences. In particular, the Geology Department, to which the commission has granted significant sums in the past, has been the main beneficiary.

The new MoU provides for the design and execution of geology, mining engineering and geological engineering programmes; re-tooling and equipping of the geological laboratory to the tune of $55M; curriculum design and enhancement, and provision of laboratory services to the mining sector; collaboration with other government agencies or private entities on areas of common interest for the purpose of participation in research projects for various areas, particularly in the geology, mining engineering and geological engineering programmes; collaboration on students’ internship attachments with GGMC; sharing technical publications based on assignments of the programmes done by scholars of GMMC; and collaboration on annual renewal of the agreement.

In brief remarks at the signing, GGMC Commissioner Newell Dennison said the commission will continue to support UG as it would like to see a university grounded in research and scholarships. He said while Minister Trotman had promised the support, it was for the commission to figure out how this could be provided for.

Trotman, on the other hand, pointed out that by supporting the university, the ministry is investing in youths, who are the future. He described the new MoU as the basis for a renewed and enhanced relationship between GGMC and the university and added that it is also a testimony of their pride in the institution and the fact that it is in good hands.

The minister also noted that while Guyana is going to soon be an oil producing state, the other pillars of the economy, such as gold and diamond mining, should not be forgotten.

Article adapted from: https://www.stabroeknews.com/2017/news/stories/10/24/ugs-technology-faculty-to-be-among-key-beneficiaries-of-100m-ggmc-grant/

$100M grant aimed at improving UG's oil and gas programmes

The Ministry of Natural Resources, the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the University of Guyana (UG) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for a $100 million philanthropic education grant for the year 2017-2018. The grant will provide the University of Guyana’s, Faculty of Technology with much-needed equipment for its geology labs, curriculum development, training, outreach, and field research, all linked to the emerging oil and gas sector. It also provides specific allocations for all other faculties for student-centered enhancements at the university, the government disclosed in a statement.

Of the total amount, $55M will be used for equipment and supplies to the Faculty of Technology’s laboratories, all of which will be pursued by the GGMC. Some $15M will be used for scholarships and training, while $16M will go towards the improvements of classrooms and teaching facilities at the Faculty of Health, Earth and Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Science and Agriculture at the Turkeyen and Tain Campuses and IDCE.

The sum of $7M will go towards supporting the School for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation programme with emphasis on the Natural Resources sector, and $7M to support research, curriculum review and development process, marketing, media and stakeholder consultations. Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who handed over the first tranche of the funds ($45M) to Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ivelaw Griffith, at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, said that the government views the initiative as an investment in education, and youth development.

The minister also noted the timeliness of the projects, adding that it is significant as “it represents a renewed and enhanced relationship with the Ministry and GGMC with the University of Guyana,” even as the oil and gas sector develops. Further, Minister Trotman stated that research is also needed in the gold and diamond mining sectors; as they will not be neglected in the period, post-2020 when oil production begins.

Professor Griffith explained that this is one of the university’s most significant grants, which has been negotiated over the last year with the GGMC. Griffith said that it is an investment by the Government in the institution, in an area critical to the nation’s economy. Meanwhile, GGMC Commissioner, Newell Dennison said that GGMC has a long-standing relationship with the University. He highlighted the fact, that many of the commission’s staff through scholarships, have received their higher education at the institution.

Article adapted from: https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2017/10/24/100m-grant-aimed-at-improving-ugs-oil-and-gas-programmes/

GOVT/UG sign MOU to improve programmes allied to oil and gas sector

The Ministry of Natural Resources, the Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) and the University of Guyana (UG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for $100 million philanthropic education grant for the year 2017-2018.

The grant will provide the University of Guyana’s Faculty of Technology with much-needed equipment for its geology labs, curriculum development, training, outreach, and field research, all linked to the emerging oil and gas sector. It also provides specific allocations for all other faculties for student-centered enhancements at the university.

Of the total amount, $55M (55%) will be used for equipment and supplies to the Faculty of Technology’s laboratories all of which will be pursued by the GGMC.  $15M (15%) will be used for scholarships and training, while $16m each (16%) will go towards the improvements of classrooms and teaching facilities at the Faculty of Health, Earth and Natural Sciences, Humanities and Social Science and Agriculture at the Turkeyen and Tain Campuses and IDCE.

The sum of $7M (7%) will go towards supporting the School for Entrepreneurship and Business Innovation programme with emphasis on the Natural Resources sector; and 7M (5.7%) to support research, curriculum review and development process, marketing, media and stakeholder consultations.

Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who handed over the first tranche of the funds ($45M) to Vice Chancellor Prof. Ivelaw Griffith, at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus, said that the government views the initiative as an investment in education, and youth development.

The minister also noted that timeliness of the projects, adding that it is a significant “it represents a renewed and enhanced relationship with the Ministry, GGMC with the University of Guyana,” even as the oil and gas sector develops.

Further, Minister Trotman stated that research is also needed in the gold and diamond mining sectors as they will not be neglected post-2020 when oil production begins.

Professor Griffith explained that this is one of the university’s most significant grants, which has been negotiated over the last year with the GGMC. Griffith said that it is an investment by the Government in the institution, in an area critical to the nation’s economy.

Meanwhile, GGMC Commissioner, Noel Dennison said that GGMC has a long-standing relationship with the UG. He highlighted the fact that many of the commission’s staff, through scholarships have their education at the institution.

Article adapted from: http://gina.gov.gy/govtug-sign-mou-to-improve-programmes-allied-to-oil-and-gas-sector/

UG must guard against overproducing graduates - Vice-Chancellor

THE University of Guyana (UG) has been warned to be very careful with the amount of degree programmes it offers to complement Guyana’s emerging oil- and-gas industry. This is according to Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Ivelaw Griffith, who said taking the professional recommendation into consideration, the university will be offering less degree programmes and more “short courses” in the field. In fact, he said what is actually needed at this time is more technical skills, which are being taught at the technical institutes.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle, Professor Griffith said what is needed for the energy sector is definitely not what has been initially touted. “It is technical skills; it is persons coming out of the technical institutes. So we have to strike a balance between investing methodically enough so that we do not overproduce,” he said. There have been much talks about Guyana’s level of preparedness as it moves to embrace the new sector, which will undoubtedly transform the country’s economy. The concerns were particularly over what role the premier tertiary institution could play in paving the way for the country in managing the oil-and-gas sector.

UG Chancellor Dr. Nigel Harris had previously sounded a warning that the university had better be prepared for the sector with new and innovative programmes. But new information reaching the institution suggests that there is much more than programmes that needs to be pursued. The advice has come from several quarters, particularly from universities in oil- producing countries. Those institutions have been doubling up on their programmes over time. Griffith said an adviser from the University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus said that institution made the very mistake with the energy degree programmes it offered, only to later find out that the absorptive market was not there.

THIN LINE
“We have got to walk a thin line between starting programmes, getting a good idea of what is needed here and elsewhere and in partnership with other universities, do things that are better suited,” Griffith said. In that regard, he said UG is actively pursuing partnerships with several universities, including UWI and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT), which have very robust oil-and-gas programmes.
“I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of the West Indies in July. We will use that MoU as a part of ramping up the partnership with the UWI campus,” he said. He said he will soon be leading a mission to the UTT and the UWI to find out how they can partner to address Guyana’s peculiar situation.

The VC said it is quite clear that most of what the country needs for the oil-and- gas sector, cannot be answered by the university at this time. He said UG is however beginning conversations with its local partners, including the Ministry of Natural Resources. It has also taken a strategy for the short courses to the School of Entrepreneurship and Engineering.

DEVELOPING PARTNERSHIPS
“We recognise that some of what they need, we don’t have and we can’t pretend to have them overnight, so we are developing partnerships”, he told the Guyana Chronicle. The vice chancellor said as Guyana braces itself for the oil and gas sector, several questions must be answered, including what skills would the sector need, whether the university has the teaching resources to deliver the skills needed and the economic question — given what the needs are, whether the university would be better off doing some things in partnership with other institutions. “There is no sense pretending. We don’t have what will be needed in the next year or two, so we have to find partnerships, so yes, we have begun those conversations,” Griffith said.

Chancellor Nigel Harris had last year said that U.S. oil and gas company Exxon Mobil had approached the university, and was enquiring about its current arrangement for an industry that is likely to place the country’s economy on another level. He had promised to arrange for assistance from the University of the West Indies (UWI). According to Harris, UWI has been training petroleum engineers and other persons in the industry for the past four decades. “It may be that the UG may not be able to provide all the staff they need. So, we are planning to link the University of Guyana with other international institutions. I will be pushing for links with UWI…. It does not make sense that we have the next-door neighbours and not take advantage of the programmes,” Professor Harris had promised.

Article adapted from: http://guyanachronicle.com/2017/09/18/ug-must-guard-overproducing-graduates-vice-chancellor