Brainstorming SessionIndustry-Academia Interaction

(Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas)

J.P. GuptaDirector

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

Rae Bareli, (U.P.)

Ashoka Hotel, New DelhiOctober 17, 2008

RGIPT is an initiative of MOPN&G to cater to the technical and managerial talent needs of the Petroleum and Energy sector

The Institute is established under Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology Act, 2007, passed by Parliament in December 2007 as an institute of national importance.

Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Petroleum Technology

Vision of the Institute

To create learning aspirations among the youth of the country towards the Oil and Gas Sector.

To serve as a fountainhead for nurturing of world class human capital capable of being the future leaders of technology and innovation, not only in India but also abroad.

To provide education, research and consultancy for the entire hydrocarbon value chain.

Governance Structure

•Present Structure

The Board of trustees appointed by MOP&NG in August, 2006 with representations from promoting oil PSUs, OIDB & IIT, Kanpur. Shri D M Reddy , ED, BPCL as President.

Advisory Council – Secretary, P&NG as Chairman with C&MD’s of promoting oil PSUs, eminent academicians, representatives of Govt. Bodies as members

MOP&NG appointed Prof. J P Gupta, a senior professor from IIT, Kanpur as first Director from June 26, 2008

Rs. 260.58 Crore Cumulative Recurring

Expenditure

Rs. 435 Crore - Capital Expenditure

Rs. 150 crore

(OIDB)

Rs. 285 crore

(Budgetary Support during

11th Plan)

Rs. 695.58 Crore – Total Project Cost

Rs 250 crore –

Endowment Fund

By Oil PSU

(Rs. 50 Crore- 2006-07)

(Rs. 150 Crore - 2007-08)

(Rs. 50 Crore 2008-09)

plus

Institute’s Earnings

Financial Outlay

Academic Programmes

Academic Programs from 2008-09 in hired campus

B. Tech – Rae Bareli Campus

Petroleum Production & Reservoir- Student Intake- 35Petroleum Refining – Student Intake - 35

MBA- Noida CampusPetroleum Management – Student Intake- 50

Capability Building

Collaborations with foreign universities is being explored for Faculty/Student Exchange, Joint Research/Consultancy/Program etc. Aberdeen University, U. K Texas A& M University, USA Colorado School of Mines, USA University of Calgary, Canada University of Alberta, Canada Curtin University of Technology, Perth , Australia IFP School of Petroleum, France China University of Petroleum Technology, Beijing

Capability Building

Developing linkages with - Promoting Oil PSUs training Centres and R&D institutes particularly of E&P sector for specialisation in the areas :

Oil & Gas Field Development PlanningEnhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) StudiesImproved Oil Recovery (IOR) StudiesGeo-microbial Hydrocarbon prospectingBasin modelingHydrocarbon Resource AppraisalProspect generationGeological & Geo-chemical ResearchSeismic Data Processing & InterpretationSeismic Software Development

“Industry – Academia Interactions”

3-day Brainstorming Conference

IIT Kanpur, Silver Jubilee year 1985

‘Such interactions were so essential for

the rapid progress of a nation!’

Points covered:

• Existing information gap

• Mutual lack of appreciation of the goals/

priorities in industry and academia

• Industry-funded long term, high risk R&D

projects at academic institutions

• Interactions in Education – UG, PG and

continuing education

• Planning for the future

Speakers included:

• Sh Arif Mohd. Khan,

• Sh Gaur Hari Singhania,

• Dr S Verdarajan,

• Dr M R Srinivasan,

• Sh Ramakrishna Bajaj,

• Prof. S Sampath,

• Another dozen equally well-known persons.

Rename today’s meeting as ‘Government –

Industry – Academia’ interaction

• Government initiative in calling this meeting.

• Government has set-up most of the academic

institutions/ universities represented here.

• Government has set up the 6 major oil and

gas PSUs.

Contd…

My Firm Belief

•If the academia would stop looking down

upon the industry and vice versa, almost

anything is possible.

• The basic goal of academics is creation and

dissemination of knowledge through

education and research, freedom to pursue

new horizons without constraints of time and

immediate relevance. Contd…

•Professor’s time already well apportioned:

•Success judged based on originality of ideas and

innovations, conceptual elegance, etc.

•Education responsibility of academia but

‘product’ used by industry

• The basic goal of industry is to produce

and sell new products and processes.

• Success is judged by profit, market-share,

growth rate, etc.

• With these diversities, a synergy is possible.

Search for a Meeting Ground:

Academia’s expectations from industry

• Each major industry should develop a 20-year

R&D programme in association with one or

more academic institutions.

•US DOS meeting in 1991 on Future

Planning for R&D, a major Japanese

company unveiled its R&D plans for the next

100 years with midterm reviews.

Contd…

•

• Indian industries should set-up research

centres in close proximity to major institutions.

• Univ. of Michigan

• Case of Indian Navratna

•Provide funding for long-term research to

academic institutions.

• Equipment, technical staff, faculty time,

student fellowships.

Contd…

• Industry should hire bright PhDs from reputed

institutions for their own R&D department.

• Second them to top research centres in India

and abroad.

• Give them enough space.

• Don’t expect results overnight.

• They will be able to interact with academia, and

produce worth while results.

• They altogether will never cost you as much as

an abandoned well. Contd…

• Penn Central Rail Road case 1970.

• Industry (and Academia) need to hire the best

and retain them.

• Look at the number of PhDs GE, Shell, etc.,

are hiring in India itself.

• Look at the highly interactive programme that

Schlumberger has with universities world wide

without expecting immediate paybacks.

• Old ICI and BG in UK allowed interested

senior member to go to universities two years

before retirement with full salary and perks.

• They would fund some projects under him.

• After 2 years, he got his pension and the

university salary.

• Such people have really done wonders

interacting with academics

(Ramshaw - New Castle, Kletz –Loughborough)

• Training courses for Indian industry by

academia and by foreign experts are common.

• Inform their schedule to concerned academia.

• Encourage them to nominate one or two

persons.

• Share the training material with the

educational institutions with trainer’s approval.

• Industry specialists to lecture to students on

practical aspects of industry.

• Give real industrial design and process

development problems as in many US

universities

• Guide the students to practical solutions.

• A consortium of major corporations should

fund ‘development of a technology that others

will buy’. Such efforts abroad have been amply

rewarded.

• Adapt SBIR of the US: 3 Phase process

Contd…

• Continued dependence on foreign technology

keeps us far behind.

• Makes our products uncompetitive internationally.

• In search of self-reliance a few decades ago, for

every dollar spent on imported technology, the

Japanese corporations spent several dollars for

upgrading it.

• Then exported it back to the developed countries.

• The Japanese corporations continue to spend a

sizable fraction of revenues on their research.

• Companies should have a cadre for scientists

and technocrats that parallels the management

or does better.

• Management will sell only when technologists

produce.

• At UOP, the top technical position is called UOP

Fellow.

• At IBM a Fellow used to be fully funded for

research for 5 years, no questions asked.

• Many fundamental discoveries produced,

resulted in Nobel prizes.

• Encourage co-operative programmes (BITS,

TIET).

• Like internship after MBBS course.

• Do no expect academics to reduce courses.

• It would adversely affect the basic knowledge

of the students.

• It was an unpleasant situation in 1980s to

reduce the 5-year engineering B Tech to 4

years after 10+2 education system.

• Its effects are still visible.

• Individual major companies should spend at

least 2% of revenue on futuristic R&D, not on

solving today’s problems.

• The whole of R&D will not cost as much an

abandoned well or a blowout.

• Such research might someday save a

blowout/ situations like abandoning a well, etc.

• The GOI probably charges cess on some

industries for funding R&D.

• That money should be regularly spent for

the purpose and not carried forward.

• The spend must be closely monitored.

• It would be good if academics, government

labs, industrial R&D centres would coordinate

their R&D in the applied areas.

• MoPNG may hold a meeting exclusively with

CSIR and other Government research labs.

• Then, short range problems would be solved by

companies’ in-house R&D.

• Medium range problems by CSIR and other

Government labs.

• Long range problems by academic institutions.

Coming to Academic Institutions:

•Academics should hire people with

industrial experience and give due credit.

• Those without such experience be sent to

industry for the summer or for an year.

• Case of RGIPT, NYUST.

• IITK: Summer High Level Consultancy

Programme.

• Academics should spend sabbaticals in industry

and industry experts in academics.

• Academics to appoint industry experts as

Adjunct faculty.

• Industry to appoint academicians as Adjunct

Scientist in their R&D/ Processing/ Training

departments.

• A proposal is to award ‘Doctorate of

Technology’ to a person who solves a major

technological application problem, parallel to

Ph. D for a fundamental problem.

• Academia is reluctant to give recognition to

applied work.

• “If you did something useful to industry, you must

not be good enough to do something better”.

• A single discipline or a single professor can

generally not solve the problems of industry.

• Multi-disciplinary work and inter-institution

cooperative work are very few.

• A critical mass (number) needed for doing R & D.

• Recognition by peers is for individual’s

achievements.

• Academia needs to learn the language of

industry:

• The balance sheet.

• The various direct and hidden costs.

• The loss of market if the product is sub-

standard or delayed, etc.

• Academia should have industry people on its

Board of Governors and Board of Studies.

• Industry should get an academician as an

Independent Director and on its R&D committee.

• Academia has to train students for a broad

range of industries.

• For example: Chemical Engineering.

• Graduate is fit for refining, fertilizer,

polymers, petrochemical, and other basic

chemical industries.

• Needs training by industry for its specific

needs.

• Probably at Master’s level there can be

courses specific to industries.

• Industries should first hire candidates and

then sponsor them for a Master’s degree.

• Companies can sponsor their existing

personnel for PG education at IITs. For

this, IITs have lowered their entrance

requirements.

PETROFED operated R&D and Capabilities website

Academia and R&D Labs to provide:Petroleum and energy related ongoing/completed research briefsEducation and training programmesTheir capabilities, and facilities available

Companies to provide:R& D programmes going on, including those with academiaEquipment and facilities availableTraining programmes for their staffProblems faced by industry that require academia input

Each Institute and Industry to have a coordinator. Quarterly update of website

CONCLUSIONS:

•Mutual respect and understanding of each

others’ priorities and goals

•Cross lecturing/ hiring/deputizing/ training

•Industry to strengthen own R&D

considerably, upgrade imported technology

•Involve CSIR labs more proactively

•Fund labs, equipment, library, faculty and

student scholarships in academia

•Develop long term joint research plans

•Set up research labs in proximity to Inst

• Several institutions do have a lot of

linkages with industry:

• Some are: ISM, BHU,BIT Mesra, UICT,

Jadavpur University, IISc, now IITs also.

•With the suggested approach, many more

and intense interactions will start.

•Petroleum Industry can show the way to the

rest of the country.

Next meeting not for similar brain storming

Discuss the status and results of joint projects

All industries and institutes must have a few by then

RGIPT would be glad to host it at Rae Bareli.

Thank You