Thursday, 13 November 2008

Scholarships in engineering and geoscience and prizes for outstanding students will form part of a five-year agreement between leading gas supplier Apache Energy and The University of Western Australia.

Signing the agreement to seal the UWA-Apache Energy partnership today, UWA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, said the deal would enable more of the State's top school students to embark on careers in engineering and geoscience.

"Our University takes great pride in the quality of our students and our graduates are making substantial contributions to industries in Western Australia and throughout the world.  This agreement will help us achieve our aim of world-class engineering and geoscience graduates."

Apache Energy Managing Director Mr Tim Wall said the partnership with The University of Western Australia highlighted the company's commitment to Western Australia.

"Apache Energy is delighted to join with The University of Western Australia in this important education initiative," Mr Wall said.

The six engineering scholarships will be in oil and gas, petroleum, offshore and naval architecture and chemical and process engineering.  The two geoscience scholarships will be awarded to a third year and an honours student within the geosciences area.  Prizes will also be awarded to three top-ranking students in the units oil and gas transmission, production optimisation and platform, pipeline and subsea technology.

Enrolments in engineering courses at UWA have climbed in recent years to meet the growing demand of the resources industries.  Government-supported places have increased by 180 over the last three years, with 600 students enrolling in first-year engineering at UWA in 2008.

Under the partnership, Apache will sponsor some of the University's showcase engineering projects, such as the Motorsport team which this year won the 2008 World Champion Formula SAE with their student-designed and built racing car.  It will also sponsor UWA's 87-year-old University Engineers' Club.

Associate Professor Carolyn Oldham, Dean of UWA's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics said Apache would join other industry partners in helping to shape the future direction of engineering education at UWA.  "This will ensure our continued commitment to producing the state's top engineering graduates," Professor Oldham said.

Media references

Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716

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