Print this pageHuman Capital Development and Capacity Enhancement through International Collaborative Graduate Programmes
J. A. Ajienka1, M. B. Ebong2, A. Akpan3, A. Abolarin3,
and Philippe Beun4
1 University of Port Harcourt Institute of Petroleum Studies, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
2 University of Port Harcourt - University Advancement Centre, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
3 EPNL, - Sustainable Development Division, Port Harcourt, Nigeria
4 IFP-IPS Training, Paris, France
Training, Continuing Education and Applied Research are inevitable in human capital development and capacity enhancement for sustainable development of the petroleum industry. However, given the endemic problems - such as under-funding, poor infrastructure, brain drain, high students-lecturer ratios and declining educational standards - that have plagued the Nigerian educational system, local content in sustainable human capital development for the industry could not be guaranteed.
Besides, to achieve corporate objectives of high productivity and profitability, technical skills alone were no longer sufficient. Industry requires employable graduates who have acquired multidisciplinary skills, communication skills, team' skills and soft skills such as Health Safety and Environment (HSE) skills. These are grossly lacking in the curricular of our higher institutions. Consequently, industry intervened in 1998 through the Shell Intensive Training Programme (SITP) to re-train graduates and technicians. In 2003 the SITP was restructured to make it sustainable. A novel approach to sustainable human capital development and capacity enhancement is the establishment of the Institute of Petroleum Studies (IPS).
IPS is a tripartite international collaboration between two academic institutions, the University of Port Harcourt (Uniport) Nigeria and IFP School France, and the sponsors, Elf/ NNPC Joint Venture, representing the Petroleum Industry. It is an autonomous entity domiciled in Uniport, in the heart of the oil and gas rich Niger Delta. The partnership with industry goes beyond sponsorship. Industry is actively involved in curriculum development, admission process and profiling, the use of industry software, presentation of seminars and field visits. There is an Advisory Board made' up of experts representing various stakeholders in the Industry to support the Institute. Industry experts in Nigeria and abroad are invited to lecture our students as well as lecturers drawn from IFP School France and Universities in Nigeria.