Abstract

Petroleum Engineering is a specialized engineering discipline whose graduates are prepared for a vocation in one industry-the oil and natural gas industry and its related operations. Introduced as early as 1956, the petroleum engineering programs in Indonesia have not exhibited the expected commensurate growth. This paper reports the progress of petroleum engineering education in Indonesia-its objectives and goals, and issues and challenges facing the school.

Given the national development objective of academic excellence, school programs for the next few years will be focused on quality improvement. There are obvious needs to provide greater opportunities for faculty research and to increase faculty salaries if there is to be academic excellence. This would not be possible without strong support from industry in the form of salary supplements and special faculty endowments. A continuing dialogue between industry and petroleum engineering educators is vital, in order that the quality of future Petroleum Engineers meets the needs of the industry.

For mutual benefit, cooperation between industry and universities could be maintained through scholarships, research grants and other faculty endowments, and the establishment of a Petroleum Engineering Advisory Board whose membership is nominated by oil companies which have an interest in assisting the universities in the program. The Advisory Board would play a vital role in improving the academic programs through its recommendation for curricula, research and other programs to be undertaken by the university.