Perceptions, expectations, transparency and reputation:

A view from across the pond

AGI Leadership Forum Sept. 2008Public-private Partnerships in the GeosciencesColin P. North University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK

Cause for concern?GSA Sedimentology Division: Fall 2007Teaching of Sedimentology forum at Seds and suds icebreakerHow meet industry need for sedimentologists?Where will they come from? US supply too small?How build and support quality teaching?What about the smaller colleges? Perceptions of duties, rolesIndustry too passive? Academe too demanding?Expectations of funding, responsibilitiesEntitlement, or required to be earned?

Perceptions & expectationsIndustry comments:We pay our taxes too ... its a Society problem ...Its not our business, shareholders dont want it ...Too many, too small colleges to be practical ...Going to UK to get employeesUniversity comments:Not enough public money available ...Good science (& teaching) deserves support ...My thoughts:So what do we do in UK? How overcome issues?

OutlineAberdeen University - a window into UK hydrocarbon and mining industry interactionsTypical of major universities with vocational aims, e.g. Leeds, Manchester, Imperial CollegeWhat we do for industryTraining, research, public educationWhy does it work? Record of success? Is it sustainable? When does it go wrong?Threats and weaknessesGeneric lessons and observations

Aberdeen - wheres that?

University of AberdeenOver 500 years oldGeology taught since 1860s, Mineralogy biasSteadily rising geology student numbers ~ 15 yearsagainst background of falling science intakesPetroleum industry links?Petroleum Geology MSc since 1973, first oil 1975Ambivalent to petroleum industry until ~1987Now heavily linked at all levelsWe had to work at it, it didnt just happenOil Capital of Europe we make good use of this but it is not itself essential to successCompanies follow excellence

Geoscience ProductsEach year, we produce graduates:35+ BSc Petroleum Geology or Geoscience25+ MSc Integrated Petroleum Geoscience (IPG)16+ MSc Oil & Gas Enterprise Management10+ PhD in industry-relevant topics90% MSc and PhD output goes immediately to industry (mostly petroleum)Some MSc to PhD; a few PhD stay in academiaIndustry-relevant research activityBasic and applied topics, publication crucial

Geoscience ProductsUS$ 8M annual research income~75% industry (e.g. JIPs), ~25% government (KTP)Areas related to energy Deep-water frontier groupInjected sands groupTerrestrial reservoirs groupFluids: organic geochemistry, inclusions Non-destructive characterization of materialsEarth systems science: environmental change Climate change and terrestrial erosionExtreme events and meteorite impacts

Exemplar research theme: Injected sands group Geological recognition of subsurface remobilisation of sandReinterpretation of core, logs, & seismicBetter reservoir modelling and more efficient engineering

Industry research success?Have original ideas & vision, clear deliverablesMake industry aware of them !!!Interactions throughout project lifeNot just limited to funding and final reportMutual understanding of needs, expectationsMuch more time-consuming than if public fundedDefining problems analysis of their dataHonest dialogue on business problems, potential (dont over-egg the pudding)Technology transferTesting ideas on their projects, training

One-year MSc in IPGTightly structured and prescribed, intensiveDeveloped, delivered just for this MSc program Full-time, immersive ... life-changing !Taught components 7 monthsInstruction, practicals, fieldwork, teamworkGeoscience plus industry-expected generic skillsIndividual technical project 4 monthsMostly placed with a company (some out of town)Recruit best students we can getKeep up quality by cap on class size & originImportance of reputation, studentships

One-year MSc in IPGFocus on industry destination, needsThe nature of the oil industry, business awarenessRole of geoscientists in that industryDealing with uncertaintyPragmatism or technical perfection?Communication with related disciplinesNeeds and vocabularyPreparation for interviews, assessment centresReady for polishing through on-job experienceMSc students often outperform PhDsImpression at interviewsReadiness for employment

Industry interactionsStudentships to our MSc IPG courseIndustry direct to Department (~10) UK Government advanced training (5 NERC) Industry for specific persons (e.g. 3 Thai, 1 Brunei)Overseas government schemes (3 PTDF Nigeria)Yearly arrangements, not endowmentsIn-kind supportSoftware: Landmark, Kingdom, Petrel (>$10M)Direct contributions, small and large:Tutors, data, core store, exercises, projectsCatalyst for industry awareness of Dept.

Student centred trainingPrimary aim is shaping a human resource

Not about scientific output

Recipe for success?Done best when:Know industrys needs ...and have own vision, so a leader not a followerRegular dialogue with industry: transparencyWork with industry on curriculum and delivery

Creates good reputationWill survive economic cycles

Comes easily?You benefit from your location !!Perception? Envy?Yes ...e.g. drilling centre, core storeand no ... work hard to get all this support And have to keep working at it every yearDepends heavily on personal contactsProjects not automatic, studentships re-justifiedRotating staff, duties in companies Depends on impressions createdEmployability of graduates, quality of training

U.S.A. MastersMS in N. America generally research degree:One year mix of generic courses, & frame projectOne year research and dissertation (mini-PhD)Same model as most of Western EuropeBut Calgary setting up UK-type version !!Differences, from industry perspective?Business understanding negligible or accidentalVaries with supervisors contacts, research topicStudents more mature (older !)May know much more about some thingsBut lack breadth of knowledgeTwo-years not guaranteed, often slips

PhD trainingThree-year research degree:No coursework, minimal transferable skill coursesAssessment by thesis (coherent single argument)Writing may slip into year 4, but hard on longerGovt. funding for PhDs denied if average >4 yearsOften straight from BSc (age 21), finish by age 25Typically part of larger theme:Project determined in advance, advert for studentsFunding in place in advance, usually for 3 yearsFull-time - rare teaching-assistant finance in UKIndustry relevance & skills gained highly variable

U.S.A. PhD Typically 4 to 5 year research degreeYear 1 for project formulation, courseworkCan be more a collection of papers than thesisFunding more piecemealBut have teaching assistant scheme to get startedDifferences, from industry perspective?As UK, business awareness & skills very variableMuch more mature, often age 28-30 on exitDeeper science knowledge, often have papers outMore polished, more experienced

Decision-makers ?Interaction with public bodiesMore limited, diluted in UK public sector smallNo explicit training for public sector geoscienceProfessional registration still rarely neededGovernment measures ofResearch rating = overall institutional statusAffects Govt. funding (but not industry?)Teaching quality = little effect on MSc and PhDGovernment policy? Routed through professional body - e.g. GSLIndirectly influence through industry friends

Cultural differencesUSA = personal responsibility paramountAlumni much more likely to helpEurope = looks to society, governmentHistory of state oil companies forced to fundAltruism taken into account e.g. in licensingState funding means alumni less active

Extreme case of industry funding:Petronas Malaysia fund a whole university

How increase support?Is this where AGI Societies have key role?Networking, showcasing, facilitating?Wrapped up with Q: What are Societies for?Government has little money to give outUniversities are oil industrys research labsHighly dependent on personal contactsNo such thing as institutional reputation?Get self and ideas known:Conferences, papers - personal company visitsEvents at institution: workshops, open-daysBe in, or set up, industry-relevant meetings

Personal industry links:Society industry links:

Problems we facePhD students (good ones) hard to recruitGoing to industry via MScAcademic future not attractivePost-doctoral researchers hard to findSucked into industry after PhDDisillusioned by lack of faculty posts, lifestyle, payFaculty staff (good ones) hard to recruit & keepConsequence of above, global competitionIndustry-skilled ones drawn awayInstitutional reputation and vision crucial

Lessons ?Manage perceptions and expectationsAcademe not entitled to industry fundingNot industrys business to do fundamental trainingBut everyone benefits from sharing responsibilityTrust and respectOpenness and open-minded = transparencyTaking the time to understand each others needsImportance of reputation, record of deliveryHave to keep working at it, this is time intensiveDoes it require critical mass in academic units?Strategic alliances with other institutions?

Thank you for listening

ReviewingAll journals strugglingReviewing expected, but not respected (credited) by employersSo is what gets the push (or done badly) when time is tightReal pain for editors, slowing up publicationCommonly have to approach at least 6 (often 8 or more) before get 2 signed upUltimately bad for everyoneScience inadequately checked

BackgroundPersonal experience:with BP (oil and coal) for 8 years18 years university research and teachingteaching, supervision and curriculum adviser from BSc to PhD8 years as Director of the MSc in IPGindustry-funded research projects, both single and consortium (JIP) fundedconvener industry-supported research conferencesinvolved with SEPM and AAPG; editor JSR 4 years

Phase2-first-sponsors-meeting-mainPhase2-first-sponsors-meeting-mainMany UK Universities do not have vocational MSc coursesPhase2-first-sponsors-meeting-mainFull time = no time for any employment