Ove Tobias Gudmestad: “The Best Investment Is Education”

13:46, February 26, 2019

A well-known offshore oil and gas fields development expert visited UrFU

The seminar “Project Management in the Oil and Gas Industry”, featuring Prof. Ove Tobias Gudmestad, a well-known offshore oil and gas fields development expert, was held at the Ural Federal University.

The seminar was devoted to the discussion of modern challenges in the oil and gas industry and the oil and gas projects development. In his speech, Ove Tobias Gudmestad emphasized the importance of constant professional development of all people who are planning to connect or have already connected their lives with oil and gas fields development.

“The most rewarding investments are investments in education, in the development of high-potential personnel,” Ove Tobias Gudmestad said. “To work successfully in the oil and gas sector, one needs considerable expertise and knowledge. It is also extremely important to improve professional skills constantly. Universities should work with students in collaboration with employers, give them the opportunity to complete full-time internships, participate in international educational programs, study placements and exchange programs. This is a mutually beneficial process.”

Ove Tobias Gudmestad is Professor Emeritus at the University of Stavanger and Visiting Professor of the Cold Climate Technology course at the Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø). He is also Doctor Honoris Causa of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas and Murmansk State Technical University.

Ove Tobias Gudmestad's research interests include the development of oil and gas fields, marine technology and operations, cold climate engineering and offshore wind energy engineering. Professor Ove Tobias received his degrees from the University of Bergen and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was the University of Stavanger Vice-Rector, for many years worked with Statoil company, where he was engaged in the development and exploration of deposits. Professor Gudmestad teaches at many Norwegian and American universities, reads lecture courses for Russian students at Gubkin University, the Murmansk State Technical University and Saint Petersburg Mining University. His books are published in Russian as well.

“The foundation of our cooperation with Professor Gudmestad was laid by the reputable international conference Energy Quest 2014, organized in the UrFU GSEM Research and Educational Center “INZHEK” together with Wessex Institute of Technology,’ Elena Magaril, the seminar coordinator, head of the REC “INZHEK” Department of Environmental Economics, said. ‘Professor Ove Tobias acted as one of the key experts and speakers of the conference and School-Seminar for young scientists at the conference. Subsequently, we met at many reputable international conferences. In addition, we both are chief editors of the International Journal of Energy Production and Management (a joint project of UrFU and British partners), which has recently entered the Scopus database.”

Elena Magaril also notes that one of the most important tasks for universities is to supplement service companies with staff members who are able to participate in interdisciplinary projects, adapting to real working conditions easily.

“The experts working together in the project development team should have a common understanding of related disciplines, evaluate all aspects of the supply chain in order to make relevant management decisions. Such an event is not only an opportunity for participants to get a grasp of most topical problems, but also a real impulse to continue the vectors of individual professional development, to find ideas for further research,” Elena Magaril added.

The seminar was organized by the UrFU Graduate School of Economics and Management and gathered more than 50 participants from the organizing institute, engineering institutes of UrFU and partner universities.