In global market, oil exploration facing challenges. students intake at university level programs (BS & MS) reduced significantly. The private institutions forsee what should next to do? Share opinion, please.
It is a very timely query. As of now, the intake is declining. Some remediative measures can be taken.
a) Raising awareness among students about the possible potentiality.
b) Attracting more relevant Industries for holding up campus recruitment.
c) Increasing Industry-Academia collaboration.
d) Conducting webinars, workshops to attract young mind towards these area.
e) A mechanism to provide incentives to bright scholar doing excellent work in this direction.
f) Increasing one to one interaction among all stakeholders.
Its truly the need of hour for Geoscience Students, especially those about to pass out the academic institution.
1) As you said, oil exploration is facing challenges. It must be stated that excluding OE, there are other disciplines where students of Geosciences are in demand..viz., Engineering Geology, Geotechnical Studies, Geoenvironmental Studies, Hydrogeological Studies, Disaster Management etc.
2) At University level itself, students may be given option for their dissertation/ projects in interdisciplinary areas in aforesaid domains including OE. This would not only expose the students to present day practical need in Geosciences, but would also give experience to students who are leaving/ about to leave the academics and are entering into professional world.
3) Industry-Academia interaction is definitely a must. Gone are the days, when inspite of communication gap between these two, people from Geoscience background were getting jobs, based mainly on their own efforts. It is the need of the time when Geoscience related academics departments should come forward to have direct contact with industry and through that should find out the expectations of technical know-how from a passing out graduate/ post graduate. This would also give exposure to University faculty as well as Grad/PG Students about the present day happenings in Geosciences and related industries.
4) In recent years, a number of Geological disasters took place in various parts of World. It can be seen that developed Nations are though in a better situation to cope with such disasters, developing Nations still face a lot of problems in one way or another. Therefore, interdisciplinary areas on the lines of research and professional requirements may be identified, with a view to make ready the specialised people in this line. This would not only give professional experts in this field.
5) Most of the time Conferences/ Workshops end with a number of paper presentations and all with no or very limited exposure to interact with professionals and also to have some exposure to field visit/ work related to the themes of concerned Conf/WS. Therefore, here also ways to have more and more interaction between academecians/ grad-pg students and industry professionals need to be identified.
6) Development of web based resources etc. can also be helpful.
With regards
Atul Kohli.
Fresh call
https://www.campusfrance.org/en/eiffel-scholarship-program-of-excellence
The programs need to include enough basic science courses so that students can develop alternative paths in science and engineering. Describing these alternative fields along with examples of alumni working in them need to be presented to students during recruitment.
It is much better to make a long-term plan rather than execute immediate measures to improve students intake. In that manner, we will spare many young people of later being mid-carrier geoscientist which cannot find own carrier path, circling around for a new position.
My way is to make presentation to students at schools in the ages 7 to 11. I introduce the subject by bringing samples of rocks/minerals/fossils and saying a few words about them. "Catchy" minerals are, in my experience, graphite ("write" in pencils), pyrite (fire-rock, makes a fire by hitting it with a hammer- here need to turn lights off), hematite (bleeds when scratched), mica (makes shiny paper and shiny decorations), gypsum (plaster for statues of dinosaurs and walls), etc.
Finally ask all students to handle display samples and take home 2-3 samples of their choice from a set of containers with all labelled samples.
Encourage the students to take subjects related to geology and geophysics in pre-university level.
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