13 February, 2020
The 2017-2018 academic year was a great one for the Student Chapter at the
University Technology PETRONAS (UTP). The chapter participated in a wide
range of activities support by the EAGE Student Fund. This all came
together in June, when the UTP Student chapter was selected as the Best
Student Chapter of 2018!
For our final interview in the EAGE Student Fund @ 10 series, we interview
the president of the student chapter overseeing the activities in 2018 to look
back at the chapter’s involvement.
Hi! For those who have not met you before, could you please briefly
introduce yourself?
Salam Sejahtera! I am Sathes Kumar and I am from Malaysia. I am in my
final semester pursuing BSc in Petroleum Geoscience at University
Technology PETRONAS (UTP). Next to my studies, I’m the President of our
EAGE Student Chapter.
Could you tell a little bit about what made your chapter so successful?
The student chapter received plenty of support through the fund and
through EAGE’s worldwide network. The combination of ESF support for
both our chapter as well as empowering students to attend international
conferences was very beneficial to us. We used the opportunities offered to
organize workshops, training, and career outlook sessions.
One project we are particularly proud of is the organisation of the the very
first edition of Asia Geoscience Student Conference and Exhibition (AGSCE)
in 2018 (www.agsce.org), which was made possible with support from the
EAGE Student Fund. I was the project director for the conference, and the
event had up to 400 participants from 16 different universities all around
the Asian region participating. Students had the valuable opportunities to
directly learn and network with the industry as well as their peers from all
around Asia!
Impressive numbers! When focussing on EAGE programmes, are there
any EAGE Student Fund activities which stand out to you?
This would definitely be my very first time attending the annual EAGE
conference. In my case, this was in Copenhagen in 2018. It was an eye-
opener for me, as a student to be able to participate in the student program,
technical sessions, and in the Geo-Quiz! The EAGE Annual conference is
truly a place which brings together students from different backgrounds
and nationalities, which was a great experience.
Besides, the UTP student chapter was also awarded with the Best Student
Chapter Award for the very first time, which was a good wrap up for the
whole experience! Participating in the EAGE Annual Conference, have
made a significant effect in my journey as a student. This experience would
not have been possible without the support from ESF.
Thank you for this input! To conclude, why do you think people or
organisations contribute to the EAGE Student Fund today?
The EAGE Student Fund has helped many students to expand their horizons
outside of university to connect with the industry. I experienced this first
hand by participating in the Student Lecture Tours, the Laurie Dake
Challenge and the exciting student program during the conferences!
The support provided by the EAGE Student Fund allows us, the students, to
be industry-ready. This is exactly what the industry expects of fresh
graduates. Contributing to ESF is a small step to support the huge growth of
the Future Geoscientists!
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