UKH's Petroleum Engineering Programme receives $32 Million software grant

“This grant is a significant milestone that will play a pivotal role in further developing the UKH Petroleum programme.”

On Sunday, the UKH conducted a signing ceremony with Halliburton to mark the receipt of a $32 million landmark software grant (Photo: UKH).
On Sunday, the UKH conducted a signing ceremony with Halliburton to mark the receipt of a $32 million landmark software grant (Photo: UKH).

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The University of Kurdistan Hewlêr (UKH)’s Petroleum Engineering Programme has successfully secured a grant of $32 million worth of Landmark software from the US oil services giant Halliburton.  

“This grant is a significant milestone that will play a pivotal role in further developing the UKH Petroleum programme. We are the only University in the Kurdistan Region to have access to this powerful software, and its potential for enhancing our teaching and research experiences cannot be overstated,” the UKH said in a press release. 

“It is vitally important for our students to be prepared for the market. It is important for our students to be exposed to the cutting-edge technology available” said UKH President Prof. Dr. Keith Sharp in his opening remarks at the ceremony. “This software helps our students to be aware of the latest developments in the oil and gas industry and it is a remarkable achievement for UKH,” he continued.

During the signing ceremony on Sunday, Karim Ehab El Banna, the area manager at Halliburton in the Kurdistan Region told Kurdistan 24, “this program is one of Halliburton's state of art software. This is provided to the university to grow [its]understanding of oil and gas as they study. Once [UKH students] leave the university they will have a better understanding of what's happening in oil and gas through our software.”

On its website, Halliburton boasts that its Landmark software "provides E&P (Exploration and Production) professionals with software-driven lifecycle insights that generate new ideas, actions, and results to maximize asset value." The company further claims it provides "an open architecture built from the ground up, which provides choice and flexibility."

UKH Vice President Dr. Dana Mawlood told Kurdistan 24 that the software program will help UKH students to get a job in the future.

“We expect our graduates, fully trained with this program, will find it very easy to get a job in the market.  This distinction will set us apart from other institutes not only in Kurdistan, Iraq but also across the entirety of Iraq.”

“The petroleum program spans from upstream to downstream, encompassing numerous elements such as drilling,  trading, and the underlying economic aspects. This comprehensive package is embedded within the software program,” Dr. Mawlood added.

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Established in 2006, UKH is an English-speaking university situated in Erbil. Presently, the institution boasts an enrollment of more than 1,190 students.

The university offers a diverse range of courses encompassing business and management, political studies, computer science and engineering, as well as natural resource engineering.