The international energy leader is supporting the Global Student Forum (GSF) and World Engineering Education Forum (WEEF), taking place in Seoul, South Korea this week

Total sponsors global engineering education conferences to share insight into educating the next generation of energy leaders

Total, one of the largest integrated oil and gas companies in the world, is actively participating in two global engineering education events happening in Seoul, South Korea this week. This engagement is part of Total’s commitment to education and its worldwide activity program with the higher education sector. The objective is to work with students and academics to develop the skills needed by employers to meet the energy challenges of the future.

The series of educational events starts with the GSF, an international conference organized by the Student Platform for Engineering Education Development (SPEED) which brings together academics, representatives from government bodies, industry and non-profit organizations, and an increasing number of students from around the world. This year, students are focusing on the theme of ‘Empowering the Millennials’. Senior Total executives, including Director of Education Dr. Andrew Hogg, will take part in the GSF activities, including the student evaluation Jury. Total has also sponsored two Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) students to attend the GSF.

Just as Total is focusing on innovating to meet the energy needs of the future, the theme of this year’s WEEF, ‘Engineering Education for Smart Society’, examines how engineering education can evolve to reflect the skills and mindset required to enable a sustainable energy future for all. This year, the WEEF is held jointly with the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) conference. The GEDC’s mission is to provide engineering Deans and Rectors with the ideas, tools, and ’best practice’ necessary to become innovative leaders of engineering education. The combined GEDC-WEEF event will include an opportunity for Total, as a corporate member of GEDC,  to share news of the 2017 edition of ‘Team Total’ – the annual grants program which sees €80,000 shared across selected student projects.  Applications are open until December 4 on www.total-campus.com for this opportunity.

“Education is a cornerstone of our commitment to better energy,” says Andrew Hogg, ahead of his participation in the panel session on ‘Challenges, Barriers and Drivers for Partnerships Between Higher Education and Industry,’ on Monday, November 7. “Here in Seoul, we can exchange directly with our counterparts in higher education. We know that the next generation will be tackling challenges with new ideas and new technology, so it’s very encouraging that this global gathering of engineering education leaders and students here to promote the role of engineers will be at the heart of the ‘smart society’ of the future.”

During the week of activity in Seoul, Total will sponsor a special dinner to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES). Joseph Cho, Total Group’s representative in Korea says that, “Korea has a proud history of being at the cutting edge of new technologies. Seoul is a fitting location to bring together this distinguished group of engineering leaders, to dialogue, networking and build relationships with leading engineers and Deans from around the world.”