Cyprus needs to invest in education and human capital concerning the field of oil and gas exploitation and industry, if it is to become a strong energy center in the Eastern Mediterranean.
That was the message conveyed by a workshop held here today on “Developing the oil & gas sector – focusing on education”, jointly organized by the British High Commission, the School of Engineering of the University of Cyprus and the British Council.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Stelios Chimonas speaking on behalf of the competent Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, said that “the discovery of substantial quantities of natural gas within the EEZ of Cyprus, in conjunction with the potential utilization of other gas deposits and future gas findings in the area, opens up new perspectives and creates a new impetus for Cyprus to become an energy market player.
“Especially, in these difficult financial times, where tough austerity measures have greatly affected our lives, the people of Cyprus have placed a lot of hope for a prosperous future, on the recent natural gas discoveries, in our Exclusive Economic Zone”, he added.
Therefore, he continued, “all of us, who are involved in this sector cannot fail. We must make every effort to succeed”.
Clearly, he noted, “the challenge that lies ahead of us is to build a sustainable market in the oil and gas area. According to a study by the Human Resources Development Authority, it is anticipated that more than 5000 jobs will be created in the hydrocarbon sector by 2019. Obviously, all of these jobs will have to be filled by the right professionals, with the right skills and education”.
Therefore, he added, “all the players: the Government, academia and industry must come together to establish the supply chain of well trained professionals that this new industry demands to function efficiently, thereby maximizing benefits and meeting the high expectations of our society.»
In this context, he said, “we have started a dialogue with a number of universities in Cyprus. At first, we are investigating the possibility of offering a number of scholarships to Cypriot graduate students on related subjects. We are also looking into the possibility of placing a number of students or recent graduates in companies”.
And this is only the beginning, he said, adding that “we plan to engage in a structured dialogue with our industry partners and universities in Cyprus and in our region, to build strong academic programs and create a strong research basis in the area. It is only through investing in our human capital that we will be able to successfully exploit our natural resources in the years to come. This way, we are building the most fundamental block for sustainable growth and innovation”.
Minister of Education and Culture Kyriakos Kenevezos in his speech, read out by a senior officer of the Ministry Stelios Christofides, said that “the interconnection between the upcoming hydrocarbons work-market and education is of major importance for Cyprus”.
Already, he said, “some Higher Education Institutions in Cyprus are taking advantage of the opportunities given by the rising sector of oil and gas industry in the island and offer a number of vocational and academic programmes of study in Bachelor and Master’s level relevant to the field”.
He noted that “by investing and focusing on education in this particular field of oil and gas exploitation and industry, Cyprus can eventually become a strong energy center in the Eastern Mediterranean. The collaboration between academia and industry is of great importance in achieving results and overcoming technological challenges. Furthermore, education is the link which will provide the necessary skills and knowledge to the developing hydrocarbons industry in Cyprus”.
“The need for drawing experience in developing natural resources from countries that are already involved in the oil and gas industry, such as the United Kingdom (UK), is of great importance to our country, since Cyprus is currently on its first steps in the field”, he added.
The Rector of the University of Cyprus Constantinos Christofides said that he will use the results of today’s workshop “to shape its programs for exploiting the new opportunities in the hydrocarbon sector through educational, research and services programs”.
He said that “a decade ago we started the engineering school, which has now 4 departments, 4 research centers and 2 inter-departmental graduate programs on Energy, one of those is a Master program in Petroleum Engineering starting in September with 25 students”.
He also said that “we formed an International Committee to advise us in creating a new department, with focus in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. The research activity in the Engineering School is remarkable, supported by external funding in excess of 19 million euros. In appreciation of its good results we work hard on securing finding for its new building at the campus to start the construction early next year”.
The British High Commissioner Μatthew Kidd said, inter alia, that skills and knowledge are very important for a country like Cyprus that wants to have a successful energy sector and become a regional energy hub.
He said that the UK has experience in developing knowledge on the oil and gas industry and expressed the readiness of this country to offer its knowledge and help to Cyprus in addressing the challenges that faces today.
He added that this is a sign of solidarity in practice towards Cyprus especially now that the country is going through a difficult period.
Advisor to the Foreign and Commonwealth office and Energy Specialist Angus Miller, in his address, said , inter alia, that Cyprus has the opportunity to develop as a hub both for hydrocarbon recovery and processing and for providing the training and education that will sustain the industry.
“In short, to become the local provider of skills with worldwide application”, he concluded.
