With a recent $5 million gift from Halliburton, the A&M College of Engineering will establish the Halliburton Engineering Global Program, which will provide students with unique international experiences to prepare them to work in an unfamiliar cultural environment.
The new program, which will include faculty-led study abroad programs, overseas industrial internship experiences and research at overseas academic laboratories, will give students an opportunity to practice in different cultural societies, according to an A&M news release.
A&M Engineering vice chancellor and dean Katherine Banks said the gift will help reach the College of Engineering’s goal to more than double the number of engineering students who participate in a global engineering experience — from 700 to 2,000 per year.
“The Halliburton Engineering Global Program will better prepare graduates to address the future needs of society, a key principle of the College of Engineering’s 25 by 25 Initiative,” Banks said. “International experiences are imperative for today’s engineers to be successful working in the global marketplace.”
This is not the first time Halliburton has contributed to A&M education. Halliburton has previously supported programs for the College of Engineering, the College of Science and Mays Business School.
“Halliburton’s generosity has also supported other educational initiatives at Texas A&M including a business management certificate in the College of Engineering and a math outreach program in the College of Science,” Banks said.
Halliburton, which represents 140 nationalities in more than 80 countries, provides products and services to the oil and gas industry such as locating hydrocarbons, managing geological data, drilling and forming evaluation. In the release, Halliburton president Jeff Miller said Halliburton is committed to higher education in spite of current difficult market conditions.
“Engineers are critical to Halliburton’s success, and we see our contribution to Texas A&M’s global engineering program as an investment in the next generation of potential employees,” Miller said in the release.
Banks said the gift will enhance the university’s reputation for top quality engineers by giving opportunities for students to gain international learning experiences.
“This, in addition to their degree from one of the top engineering programs in the country, will ensure that Texas A&M continues to provide industry with engineers who are not only well trained but prepared for the global workforce,” Banks said.