KUALA LUMPUR, 14 October 2023 – PETRONAS today awarded education sponsorship to 600 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2022 high achievers across Malaysia, under its Powering Knowledge programme.
The sponsorship, valued at RM340 million, will enable the recipients to pursue their tertiary education at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and other leading local and overseas universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan. Starting this year, PETRONAS is also offering sponsorship to South Korea for recipients to pursue their studies.
PETRONAS Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Bakke Salleh, together with Senior Vice President Project Delivery & Technology Datuk Bacho Pilong presented the sponsorship to the recipients.
Tan Sri Mohd Bakke said, “PETRONAS believes that investing in education and human capital development at all levels will enable a continuous and sustainable pipeline of talent. PETRONAS Powering Knowledge is our commitment to champion the pursuit of knowledge among students and educators. We support their quest for quality education and are devoted to empowering them to strive for progress and impact a rapidly changing world.”
As PETRONAS expands its portfolio beyond oil and gas into a broader energy spectrum amidst the accelerated energy transition, the company demands fresh skillsets to cater to its evolving business needs, requiring it to produce highly knowledgeable and skilled industry professionals.
PETRONAS Senior Vice President of Group Human Resource Management Farehana Hanapiah said, “As we work towards achieving Net Zero Carbon Emissions by 2050, we need to ensure that our future workforce is equipped with the right competencies and expertise to embrace sustainable energy solutions and innovative technologies.”
Over 10,000 candidates applied for the sponsorship, and following rigorous evaluation, 600 individuals who embody academic brilliance as well as outstanding leadership qualities, agility, problem-solving skills, collaborative spirit and vision of excellence were selected.
In line with PETRONAS’ Sustainability Agenda and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 which focuses on providing quality education to youths and students, PETRONAS’ Powering Knowledge programme aims to improve access to quality education, promote learning and development activities as well as enable deserving recipients to realise their careers aspirations.
PETRONAS has sponsored over 38,000 Malaysian students since 1975. Scholars have pursued their tertiary education in disciplines that include Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Geophysics, Accounting, Marketing and Law. It will also continue to sponsor students in the fields of Data Science and Data Engineering, as the company advances its digital transformation.
Last year, PETRONAS also awarded RM340 million worth of tertiary education sponsorship in various disciplines to 600 SPM 2021 high achievers.
