Asia Pacific University (APU) has proved itself to produce quality graduates, this time with an Engineering student being selected as among the Top 100 worldwide to participate in the IPTC Education Week, a subsidiary of the International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) 2022. The event took place from 21 to 23 February in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Through a one-minute video pitch, the aspiring oil & gas and energy professional, Abdallah El Badaoui, was chosen among thousands of applicants worldwide, the largest number of applicants since inception. The top 100 who were selected received full sponsorship by Saudi Aramco, the Saudi Arabian public petroleum and natural gas company.

The IPTC Education Week saw more than 30,000 visitors which include regional energy ministers, industry leaders and governmental representatives from across the world to exchange views, expertise and experience on industry trends.

The final year Petroleum Engineering student was thrilled with the trip, gaining phenomenal learning experience from an enriching exchange between earth scientists. He also highlighted the exchange with president and group CEO of PETRONAS, Datuk Tengku Muhammad Taufik Tengku Aziz, who encouraged his team to continue on the energy path where young innovative engineers are needed.

As part of the competition, participants were divided into different groups. The practical learning began with a “geosteering” (drill wells) competition using software by Rogii. Thereafter, they took part in a field development competition by Schlumberger, a French technology company, through the application of their software, Petrel.

“Participants got a chance to interact with energy leaders through workshops and panel sessions that catered for their professional growths,” shared Abdallah, who served as the President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) APU Student chapter for the term of 2020/2021, where he led his chapter to win their first SPE Excellence award.

The final 2 days of the conference provided students with the opportunity to network with industry leaders and potential employers as they were permitted to join in the professional exhibition and technical sessions.

Abdallah shared that the trip enabled him to meet world leaders from both Europe and Malaysia — namely the President of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE), Dirk Orlowsky; President of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), Anna C. Shaugnessy; and Executive Vice President and CEO, Upstream, PETRONAS, Mr Adif Zulkifli.

The 22-year old emphasised the importance of networking before graduating, expressing that the rapport you build with industry leaders goes beyond career opportunities. The student leader, who was named as one of the Energy Leaders for Tomorrow in 2020 by Energy Intelligence, supported by TotalEnergies, Saudi Aramco and Gunvor Group, firmly believes there is an advantage in knowing people of different backgrounds in an ever-connected world.

An unforgettable experience and knowledge garnered from such a trip should not go unnoticed. Upon returning to campus, Abdallah swiftly collaborated with other student chapters’ representatives from Oman, India and Indonesia to host a joint virtual talk, sharing their experiences from the IPTC 2022.

SPE APU Advisor, Ts. Harvin Kaur Gurchran Singh applauded Abdallah for his vast co-curricular experiences.

“This is not the only international arena that Abdallah has gone to, he had earlier represented his chapter and university in worldwide conferences, including the SPE Annual Technology Conference and Exhibition (ATCE 2021), and was one of the rapporteurs of the UN Youth Forum on crime prevention and criminal justice, Kyoto 2020,” he affirmed. Ts. Harvin also believed that Abdallah has shown high potential in becoming a competent Petroleum Engineer in the future.

Abdallah’s achievement impressed APU’s Chief Innovation & Enterprise Officer, Prof. Ir. Ts. Dr. Vinesh Thiruchelvam, as he commented, “As academics, we can open the door, but students must enter into it by themselves, this was exactly what Abdallah did. He ventured and explored opportunities on his own effort and initiative. His maturity and his pursuit of engineering led him to this achievement.”

APU has consistently demonstrated to be the best university in producing innovative and successful students. Be part of the success here.