“OUR COURSES COVER ALL THE IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY MANAGEMENT”

A third of the world’s oil and gas trading is transacted in Geneva and the city’s Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID) is preparing to launch its new Executive Master’s Degree in International Oil and Gas Leadership. Business Mir met with Andrea Bonzanni, the Graduate Institute’s Executive Education Officer, to learn more about the programme.

Photo: The Graduate Institute’s “Villa Barton” campus (DR) Can you tell us a bit more about this new Master’s degree? What is the purpose of the programme and what subjects will it cover? The Executive Master’s degree in Oil and Gas Leadership aims at providing mid-level oil industry executives or civil servants from hydrocarbon rich countries with the tools to become real leaders in their field. The programme’s unique structure is specifically tailored for busy professionals who can not leave their posts for an entire academic year as it comprises just 3 intensive 3-week modules over a period of 7 months. The programme’s typical candidate usually has a highly technical background in engineering, geology or economics but needs to fully understand the broader legal and political scope of oil industry operations. The oil industry is a difficult sector to manage as it involves high stakes, volatile markets, an unstable business environment as well as challenging technological, environmental and social issues. The skills acquired during this Master’s programme will allow graduates to make a significant impact on their companies and their nations as a purely technical education does not suffice to develop clear views of a government or company strategies. Our courses cover all the important aspects of oil and gas industry management. Subjects range from energy market dynamics, economic diversification in hydrocarbon producing countries and energy policy to energy and contract law, negotiation, corporate and project financing and managing large-scale infrastructure projects. Who would be a potential candidate for this programme? Is it possible to apply without having any professional experience in the oil and gas industry? We primarily target candidates with at least 5–7 years of relevant professional experience but we are not looking to establish a standard profile. On the contrary, we value diversity and consider interaction among participants from different countries, academic and professional backgrounds to be a substantial part of the Executive Master’s in Oil and Gas Leadership learning experience. We prioritise a prospective candidate’s skills, motivation and potential for leadership. Students who have been admitted to our programme’s first semester come from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. Our students span a wide age range, with participants in their mid-20s to early 50s.Why did you start this Master’s programme? What made you decide to establish it in Geneva? The emergence of new oil and gas producers along with the rise and international expansion of national oil companies from emerging markets and hydrocarbon producing countries have dramatically increased the demand for training and developing skills in the hydrocarbon industry. Geneva’s key role in the petroleum industry is also increasingly important and the city has recently surpassed London as Europe’s largest oil trading hub. Approximately one-third of global oil trading (and 75% of Russian exports!) is transacted on the shore of Lake Geneva. Furthermore, international organisations involved in various aspects of governing the sector – such as the WTO, UNCTAD, EFTA and others – are headquartered in Geneva. Geneva is also a prominent centre for arbitration and dispute resolution, providing a wealth of legal expertise that is crucial to the industry. It is a key banking centre, well adapted to handling energy projects which are the largest and most complex in terms of financing. Finally, Geneva is a centre of expertise in generalised Earth Sciences – and specifically in studies evaluating oil and gas reserves. All of these factors create the potential for this new programme to make the Graduate Institute a key international centre for executive training in the petroleum industry.Are you considering the possibility of cooperating with oil and/or gas companies either in Geneva or abroad – perhaps through company internships providing professional training? Cooperation with oil and gas companies – as well as government ministries – is definitely an option for the future and a Central Asian nation has already expressed an interest in doing so. The Graduate Institute has extensive experience in offering customised programmes off-campus considering that it has trained civil servants and professionals from about 40 countries across the world. We have even organised training programmes for officials at the Presidential Executive Office in the Russian Federation.