Graduating this summer? Let us know!
18 July 2019
Are you graduating this summer?
Congratulations on getting your degree!
It is great to see you have made it to the end of your studies. We hope you have been able to use
the opportunities through the EAGE Student Fund to your best advantage. Maybe you
presented your first research at an international meeting with the support of the EAGE
Student Fund, or learned new skills through a visiting student lecture tour.
If the next step would be a Master’s degree of PhD position, the ESF is there for you. Make sure
to read up on the options available in your new position or at your new university
– get involved in the student chapter and participate in the Laurie Dake Challenge.
Is your next step starting a new job or traineeship? Great! Do let us know how your
involvement with the EAGE Student Fund and our activities helped you to get ready
for your entry into the job market.
You can do so by dropping us a line or two at info@eagestudentfund.org.
Also, why not consider making a donation to the ESF? We need to keep up our work in
providing support to the next group of students. Many thanks in advance!
Develop your chapter – tips from around the globe
10 July 2019
Student Chapters play a key role in the work of the EAGE Student Fund. Not
only do chapters provide students with a fun and engaging framework to
gain new skills, but it allows students to access an even wider range of
possible ESF support.
What makes a strong EAGE Student Chapter though? In this update, we will
focus on some best practices from around the globe on activities and how to
get started with your chapter.
Student chapters and their activities
Our chapter at the University of Calgary has a long track record with the
EAGE Student Fund. Their team competed in many editions of the Laurie
Dake Challenge, winning the challenge in 2012. The chapter is a hive of
activity with many events taking place throughout the year.
Paulina Wozniakoska, committee member at the SC Calgary, on their
motivations: ‘Every activity gives us great satisfaction knowing we’ve
developed our chapter further. This is also our advice to those considering
setting up a chapter – the work really helps you to enrich your resume by
gaining problem-solving, communication and leadership skills.’
Mateo Acuña Uribe, president of the EAGE Student Chapter at the Industrial
University of Santander in Colombia agrees: ‘An important aspect of
creating a chapter is the development of soft skills. Getting involved in an
EAGE Student Chapter helps you to connect to people who want to learn,
share and teach on topics such as geology, geophysics and petroleum
engineering.’
Teamwork & cooperation
To establish a strong chapter students to work in groups and cooperate with
other organisations. Mateo: ‘Key advise is to get a variety of people involved
in the chapter. Teamwork is an important factor to creating a strong
organisation. I think our desire to learn and transmit knowledge of
the geosciences to the university and wider community makes our chapter
stand out.
The wide range of activities by the Santander chapter are a good example of
developing a strong sense of commitment. For their (team)work, the
chapter was a honoured with a ‘Best Student Chapter’ award at the EAGE
Annual Conference and Exhibition in London.
In Calgary, an emphasis is also placed on cooperation. Here, a focus lies
on working together with other student chapters. Together with the SEG
and CSEG chapters, they host the Talks Series – a reoccurring event in which
industry professionals share their experiences. Paulina: ‘Linkage and
cooperation with industry is key to us. The Talks Series allows us to work
together with other chapter representatives and provide students with
great insights into getting a first (or second) job.’
The ESF and your chapter activities
Inspired? Make sure to read up on the options provided by the EAGE
Student Fund for setting up a student chapter. You may also want to read
our earlier posts from recently established student chapter at the University
of Aberdeen in the UK, or Curtin University in Australia.
If you already have your chapter established, we are keen to hear about
your chapter activities! Please share your experiences via
info@eagestudentfund.org
First Near Surface Geo-Quiz in Sweden
3 July, 2019
June is traditionally an exciting month for students. In addition to exams,
and research deadlines, there’s conference to attend as well! The EAGE
Student Fund supports a range of these. Earlier, we reported on
participation of our student community with ESF’s activities at the EAGE
London 2019 conference & exhibition, but this was not the only meeting in
which the EAGE Student Fund played an active role.
After the United Kingdom, the next stop was Sweden where the EAGE
Student Fund contributed to the organisation of the 8th International
Geosciences Student Conference, 16-20 June in Uppsala, Sweden.
Student chapter and event support
The student-led conference was organized by the student chapter at
Uppsala University. Because of the ambitious scope of the meeting, the
learning opportunities for the students involved and the well-established
relationship between the student chapter and the fund, the EAGE Student
Fund to support the conference. The result combined a successful and
engaging student meeting with the organisation of the first ever Near
Surface focussed Geo-Quiz!
As the EAGE Student Fund aims to facilitate the sharing of knowledge and
interaction with all students interested in geoscience. It is for this reason we
were pleased to place a near surface geoscience emphasis on our Geo-Quiz.
We want to thank all participants for their participation in this first ever
Near Surface related Geo-Quiz challenge, and also want to congratulate our
student chapter at Uppsala University for their role in organizing the
student geoscience conference.
Get ready for the next academic year with the ESF
27 June, 2019
With the summer upon us, many students will be going through their
exams or work on essays and dissertations. Good luck to you all! We hope
your experiences with the EAGE Student Fund will help you to get the best results possible.
For many of students, this is also the moment to learn about where and
when you will be able to start with post-graduate degrees. Are you starting
a MSc or PhD in September? Or continuing your course for another year?
Make sure you know how the ESF can help. Here’s three ways to prepare
yourself for your next degree with the help of the EAGE Student Fund.
1. Sort out the groundwork for a student chapter
Are you starting a course at a university without a student chapter? The
summer is a great moment to set out the preparations for this. With many
universities offering orientation programmes at the start of the course, you
will have a chance to get like-minded peers involved.
Interested to get started? Find a faculty advisor at your (new) university,
read up on the procedure to get started and drop us an email at
info@eagestudentfund.org.
2. Read up on conference opportunities
What better way to inform people about your research than a presentation
at an international workshop of conference? Make sure you read up were
you have the best fit to present your research. Maybe EGU would be perfect
for you, maybe an SEG or EAGE conference. Many associations offer
support for students to present their research. The ESF may be able to
provide support for your conference attendance of EAGE meetings. Make
sure you familiarise yourself with the options available to you!
3. Participate in the 2020 Laurie Dake challenge
Becoming one of the finalists (and maybe even winning!) the Lauri Dake
challenge is certainly a great way to wrap up your studies! The challenge
takes a lot of work (after all, it is supposed to be a challenge!) but gives you
tons of experience working in multidisciplinary teams on real datasets.
Enrolment for the next Laurie Dake challenge will launch early in the
academic year. Make sure to keep an eye out for this via the
EAGEstudentfund.org website, the EAGE Students Facebook updates and
EAGE.org.
Student excellence – our London highlights
20 June, 2019
Compared to previous editions of the student activities, some changes were
introduced to help students connect to the wider geoscience community.
The integration of the Student Technical Programme into the regular
programme allowed students to present their work on a wide platform,
encouraging questions from professionals and other students alike.
At the conference, we welcomed student delegates from 125+ institutions to
the conference and to participate in the ESF supported activities. Not only
promoted this international cooperation, but also showed student
excellence comes from all the corners of the globe. This is also reflected in
the winners of our student competitions with top performing teams coming
from Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and North America.
Geo-Quiz
The global Geo-Quiz took place on Wednesday 5 June, with all of the slots
filled well in advance. In teams of three, students answered questions from
quiz masters Mahmoud Abdulbaqi and Iain Stewart to determine the fastest
and most knowledgable. When the dust settled, the team from AGH Cracow
came in first place. The teams from the Freie Universität Berlin and
University of Leeds came in at second and third place respectively.
Laurie Dake Challenge
Before the start of the conference, some students already a big challenge on
their hands. Following earlier rounds, the final presentation of the 2019
Laurie Dake Challenge took place on Monday 3 June. Using a dataset
supported by BP, the final candidates had a chance to present their work
before the dedicated jury.
Submissions this year were strong, but after careful consideration of the
work, research and presentations provided IFP School claimed first place!
The team representing the University of Stavanger came in second place.
Finally the shared third place was between Instituto Mexicano del
Petroleo and Dalhousie University
Best student chapter awards engagement
At the ESF, we value sustained engagement with our students. After all,
gaining relevant skills to become the geoscience expert of tomorrow is not
something done in a day or single conference. Student Chapter activities
and engagement play an important role to fill this gap. Over the years, we
have seen the creation and development of many exciting EAGE Student
Chapters.
Strong engagement deserves to be recognised. For this reason we created
the Best Student Chapter Award. This year, we were proud to present this
award to the AGH Cracow Student Chapter for their ongoing work. We also
want to congratulate the Universidad Industrial de Santander and the
Universiti Teknologi Petronas for securing second and third place
respectively.
Thank you for your commitment to the ESF and we hope to see
your chapters active in the years to come!
How YP’s use the ESF to kickstart their career
13 June, 2019
As part of our ESF@10 interview series we are keen to talk to a variety of
people on their interaction with the fund. Today, we talk to Ming Yi Wong,
Senior Reservoir Geophysicists at Equinor ASA in Norway.
After first being involved with EAGE as a student member she is currently
committee member in the EAGE Young Professionals Special Interest Group.
Her role within Equinor, combined with her long term involvement with
the Fund and EAGE made us curious to learn more about her experiences.
Hi Ming, thanks for joining us for this interview. Could you start by
telling us how you have been involved with the EAGE Student Fund
before?
Thanks for including me and happy to help! I have greatly benefitted from
the EAGE Student Fund during my studies. I studied at Heriot Watt
University in Edinburgh and became involved in our Student Chapter her.
My first experience of a conference was also made possible through the
ESF. My team participated in the regional Geo-Quiz and qualified to attend
the EAGE conference in 2013. This was my first EAGE conference and I was
hooked then and there!
Why is the ESF mission still important today?
We are still noticing the effects of the earlier downturn in the industry. The
work of the ESF is extremely important as it allows students for further
skills development and exposure outside of the traditional academic
environment.
This situation also provides opportunities. It is important for the ESF to
continue to carry on its current mission and in the meantime propose
innovative projects to enhance the educational experience in line with the
needs of employers. The energy landscape is changing, and so are the skills
expected from students and young professionals. Five years ago, I had not
heard of hackathons or how machine learning would impact our work.
Thanks for these insights! Looking at the current range of activities on
offer, which ones should current students definitely participate in?
So, apart from making sure you are up to speed with new knowledge from
attending conferences, Student Lecture Tours are a great way to gain new
insights. Working on real data in the Laurie Dake challenge is also an
excellent opportunity to get involved in. Most importantly, it help
individuals to see the importance of these charities, philanthropy and
giving back.
Looking back at your involvement with the fund, which activity or
project do you have the best memories of?
I have very fond memories of my first EAGE Conference & Exhibition,
which was made possible through the support of the EAGE Student Fund.
The Geo-Quiz in particular was a highlight. Two teams from Heriot Watt
signed up and one of us ended up being the champion! Being involved in
the local EAGE Student Chapter has also fostered many friendships.
To wrap things up, why to you think people of organisation should
contribute to the EAGE Student Fund today?
The EAGE Student Fund has helped many students to broaden their
professionalism and without it, it will be quite impossible for students of
similar interest to connect amongst different student chapters and
countries. The ESF plays a key role in connecting the dots, not only between
students internationally, but also between industry and academia!
How you can support the ESF at London 2019
30 May 2019
Welcome to London! The 81st EAGE Conference and Exhibition is about to
start. This year, we will be able to welcome hundreds of aspiring
geoscientists and engineers to the conference to participate in a range of
ESF supported activities taking place.
The activities are not only meant to inspire students, but also the wider
community. If you are interested in supporting the student fund during
your conference in London, you can do so in a number of ways.
Donate your voucher
When registering for the conference, delegates have a chance to pick either
a public transportation card or a discount & donation voucher. When
opting for the voucher, you will have the option to donate this at the EAGE
Community hub. All you need to do is visit the EAGE Community Hub and
donate your voucher in the appropriate box, and we will make the donation
for you. Thank you for your support!
Learn how your company can become a supporter
Corporate support for the EAGE Student Fund is one of our main pillars and
through their donation we are able to make a large difference to the scale
and scope of our student activities worldwide.
If you would be keen to learn more about becoming a corporate support of
the ESF, please stop by at the EAGE Community Hub or contact us via email.
We are looking forward to be hearing from you!
Volunteer as a student lecturer
A Student Lecture Tour is a series of lectures taking place at EAGE student
chapters by an instructor on a dedicated topic. Tours usually focus on a
series of universities in the same country or region. The tour is therefore a
cooperation between universities, student chapters, instructors and the ESF.
Volunteering as a student lecturer is therefore an exciting opportunity to
visit universities and pass on your expertise to a new generation of engaged
students worldwide.
Recent student lecturers:
- Have a proven track record in academia and / or industry;
- Possess a clear geoscientific expertise; and,
- Have previous experience in teaching or lecturing.
If you would be interested in becoming a student lecturer, we would be
keen hearing from you at the Community Hub!
Become a student chapter advisor
Many student chapters grew out of groups of active students or people
working in academia attending the EAGE Conference & Exhibition. Each
student chapter has a faculty advisor, who supports the students in
their student chapter activities, advises them on upcoming meetings and
provides continuity throughout the years. Student Chapter faculty advisors
are key to securing the long-term involvement of student chapters.
If you are:
- working at a university as post-doc or beyond;
- EAGE member; and,
- interested to support a student chapter;
Make sure you speak to our ESF representatives at the show and learn
about the ESF support for student chapters.
Open declaration to volunteer
If you would like to become involved with the EAGE Student Fund but do
not fit with the profiles were are currently looking for we also encourage
open declarations of interest to volunteer.
Based on your interests and expertise, we will try to fit your request within
the wider ESF mission.
5 Ways to Engage With the ESF in London
23 May 2019
Only ten days to go until the start of the EAGE Annual Conference &
Exhibition. The event is home to a wide range of activities, presentations
and events for the participants of the conference. For the ESF, the
conference is one of the prime opportunities to bring the global student
community together and to promote academic excellence amongst them.
Interested to get learn more about the ESF in London? Here is five ways to
get engaged with the fund.
Meet the EAGE Student Fund representatives!
Members of our Student Fund Board and the EAGE Student Affairs
Committee will be present to answer questions after the EAGE Annual
General Meeting for Members. If you are an EGE member keen to learn
more about contributing to the ESF activities, this is the moment to find us!
Laurie Dake Challenge – finals
On Sunday the final round of the Laurie Dake Challenge will take place.
Students from our six final teams will present their motivations behind the
proposed solution to the jury. The final winning team will be announced
during the Opening Ceremony of the EAGE Conference & Exhibition on
Monday afternoon.
EAGE Global Geo-Quiz
The Geo-Quiz is a crowd puller. The idea is simple: get a group of a
maximum of three and answer as many correctly as quickly as possible.
The global student Geo-Quiz has not only conference attendees present but
also winners of earlier regional Geo-Quizes, all striving to become the most
knowledgeable student team of the year.
Motivational speeches
This year, the ESF is happy to announce to engaging motivational speakers
from the United Kingdom. On Tuesday, we welcome Dr. Suzie Imber,
planetary scienstist and winner of the BBC programme
Astronauts: do you have what it takes? from the University of Leicester.
On Wednesday, Prof. Dr. Iain Stewart (University of Plymouth, documentary
presenter and member of the UNESCO International Geoscience
Programme) will join us. Both speakers will deliver an engaging talk on
how students can make the best out of their time at university and become
experts in their discipline.
Student Chapter meeting
During the Student Chapter meeting, the ESF facilitates networking and
learning opportunities between the Student Chapter representatives
present at the Annual where they can share best practices, ideas on
activities and expand their network to like-minded students. The get-
together will take place on Thursday morning and will bring together
students from 20 universities from across the globe.
Learn more during the EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition
Are you attending the EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition and keen to
learn more about contributing to the fund? Please stop by at the EAGE
community hub for more information. We are keen to be hearing from you!
ESF Travel Grants brings excelling students to London
16 May, 2019
The 81st EAGE Annual Conference and Exhibition will take place in a couple
of weeks in London, UK. At the event, a number of flagship ESF activities
will take place, including the global Geo-Quiz, student career advice
activities and networking and the Laurie Dake Challenge.
Central to the ESF mission is to facilitate students to participate in these
activities and to provide students with a platform to present their work to
an international audience. To facilitate this, the ESF provides a number of
travel grants to excelling students to participate in the EAGE Annual
Conference & Exhibition.
Grant recipients to reflect global excellence
Student recipients of ESF travel grants were able to do so based on the
quality of their technical programme contribution, as winners of our Geo-
Quiz programme or as finalists in the Laurie Dake challenge.
Through these various means, the ESF has been able to support students
from 21 different countries with support to join the international meeting.
With students coming as far as Brazil, Canada and Australia, the student
involvement reflects both diversity as well as academic excellence.
Stage set for student community at the EAGE Annual
In total, students for 42 countries are expected to participate in the ESF
activities during the 81st EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition. The wide
international attendance is combined with a strong presence from the
United Kingdom as well, giving the event both international flair whilst
allowing for a local scientific touch as well!
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.