Dr. Naji Khoury, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Engineering (FE), Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU), is visiting this fall the McDougall School Of Petroleum Engineering, University Of Tulsa (TU), USA, in the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed earlier between the two institutions, which encourages the exchange of faculty members and students. This petroleum engineering program has been ranked #1 in the world, according to the 2017 CEOWORLD Magazine university rankings.
As the largest department on the TU campus, the School of Petroleum Engineering boasts more than 400 students, 14 faculty members, and 7 research consortia supported by the world’s leading oil companies. Students receive an education in different disciplines, including drilling, production, reservoir engineering, and others.
The current NDU-TU MoU is an ideal agreement that strongly supports the University newly-established Petroleum Engineering program, and the FE Dean at NDU Dr. Michel Hayek is actively working toward facilitating faculty exchanges from TU to NDU in the near future.
How was the training initiated, and do you believe it is important to open links between NDU and Tulsa? Why do you think this training is important for NDU faculty members and how does it benefit students?
I believe the visiting-scholar program initiated by NDU and TU offers considerable benefits at the institutional, faculty, and student levels. My visit includes opportunities to interact one-on-one with faculty members in the Department of Petroleum Engineering (PE), exchanging research/teaching ideas for future collaboration, observing classes and laboratory courses, and participating in laboratory and field visits. TU’s PE program is considered one of the most prestigious in the United States. Their focus on research and fieldwork as well as academic excellence gives their students entree to energy companies and organizations around the world.
The visiting-scholar program will open educational and professional opportunities for our students to interact with professors and scientists at TU. It could also lead to collaborative research projects and publications. The addition of the visiting-scholar experience to NDU’s current PE program will help attract students from across Lebanon and throughout the Middle East.
What was the highlight of your training at TU?
The one-on-one interactions with faculty were a highlight at TU. I am excited about the opportunities this presents for future collaboration between NDU and TU faculty and students in both academics and research. I believe the relationships developed during the visiting-scholar’s program will benefit both NDU and TU’s PE programs.
Looking ahead, why do you think the PE program offered at NDU appeals to students across Lebanon?
In the past few decades, we have seen an increased global reliance on oil and gas and Lebanon is preparing itself to enter the club of petroleum producing countries. This evolution will lead inevitably to an increase in the need for highly-paid experts in the PE field. The PE program at NDU is trying to position itself as a key provider of expertise by combining research and practical applications preparing students for the job market and by establishing the right connections with major players in this field.
About the program at TU:
Degree Options:
- Petroleum Engineering, M.E.
Ideal for students who plan to seek employment in the petroleum engineering industry immediately after graduation, rather than pursue additional research and theoretical study;
- Petroleum Engineering, M.S.E.
Learn advanced petroleum production concepts and collaborate on multi-disciplinary research projects to continue the development of their petroleum engineering skill set and professional careers; and
- Petroleum Engineering, Ph.D.
Acquire a broad knowledge of petroleum engineering concepts, primarily characterized in their doctoral dissertation, and prepares students for fulfilling careers in academia and for a lifetime of creative intellectual inquiry.