Meet the people behind the Putcuyps-Mustafina Fund

Meet the people behind the Putcuyps-Mustafina Fund

9 May, 2019

In order to keep the work of the EAGE Student Fund ongoing, the fund
relies on various types of support. This ranges from volunteers donating
their time to organisations and individuals supporting the mission of the
ESF financially. With their help and donations, we can bring activities,
new skills and knowledge, and networking possibilities to the next
generation of geoscientists.

We want to show the people who make our work possible since the
inception of the fund ten years ago. Amongst these supporters are Elena
Mustafina and Joseph (Joe) Putcuyps, veterans of the international oil
industry with over 65 years of experience shared between them. In 2017
they established the Putcuyps-Mustafina Legacy Fund to strengthen the
work of the EAGE Student Fund.

It has been several years after your initial involvement with the EAGE
Student Fund. What were the main reasons for you being attracted to
the ESF in the first place?

We chose the ESF out of a number of other possible legacy funds because of
its focuses on the industry and field in which we both worked. We liked the
discipline and frugality in its actions. The ESF is at the centre of the ‘big
crew change’. Attracting new talent with the right skill set is more
difficult than ever. The sector does not have the same appeal it held years
ago and the downturn in recent years has led to many young people
choosing different career paths.

The EAGE Student Fund supports activities globally. 
How does this tie in with these observations?

The lower number of students coming from Western Europe and the U.S. is
somewhat compensated in other countries globally where governments
have a more positive attitude.

The continuing internationalisation of the geoscience and engineering
disciplines creates perhaps the best opportunity for the ESF to make a
difference. By bringing student lecture tours and competitions to locations
around the world the ESF helps propagating cutting edge knowledge to all
who wish to learn. Through its work, the fund instills students around the
world with an international perspective, disconnected from politics.

The ESF has a multidisciplinary scope beyond the geophysical industry. 

A wider approach is important. For instance, our careers mostly focused on
the oil industry so we know how important environmental concerns are.
These need to be addressed and evaluated. Overall the geophysical industry
has been alert and sensitive to environmental issues. After all, people from
our industry work in the field, close to nature. This element comes back in
the work of the EAGE Student Fund.

The support the fund gives students to attend conferences and workshops
also exposes them to industry ideas (some good, some less so!) and help
them to think about where they want to take their career next and make a
difference as a geoscientist.

To conclude, what kind of advice would you have to others thinking
about contributing?

With the ESF being global in its scope and activities, we encourage people
and organisations around the world to contribute to the ESF. This will
make a difference to the survival of the geoscience and engineering sub-
sector of the energy industries and will help research and improve access to
energy worldwide. Geoscience will continue to play an important role in
global development and the fund helps to make this possible.

Supporting the fund

Are you keen to learn more about the Putcuyps-Mustafina Fund,
establishing or contributing to a legacy fund or interested in
supporting the mission of the EAGE Student Fund in a different way,
learn more today on the website or contact us.

About the author

EAGE Community Manager administrator