A NEW course has been launched by the Energy Centre at Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University. The MSc Asset Integrity Management (AIM) is designed to equip students with the skills and competencies to manage assets using an optimised business, safety and compliance approach.
The programme, which is accredited by the Energy Institute, fulfils industry requirements for a practical course delivering the benefits of applying a lifecycle approach to asset management.
This is a major issue in the North Sea oil&gas industry as a growing proportion of the infrastructure is approaching, or has already passed, its original design life.
RGU says the study environment is flexible and has been designed to fit in with today’s lifestyles. It is available to study as online distance learning and online tutoring with directed study and peer-to-peer forums.
The purpose is to enable students to learn, and to get immediate feedback on solutions to real-life work issues, by communicating with highly experienced tutors and industry professionals in the online forums.
Each area of the course has been devised to address the most important issues facing not just the North Sea, but many more industries in the management of their assets.
It tackles a full spectrum of topics, including problem-solving and the application of AIM tools and techniques such as safety, legal compliance, risk, reliability, and maintenance on brown and green-field operations.
There are eight core modules and students have the option of completing the full MSc by carrying out an individual engineering research project.
This is where the students apply the knowledge and experience they have gained to practical, real-life situations, often to a real workplace problem.
Dr Jesse Andrawus is one of the course leaders.
He says: “Our primary concern is to safeguard human life based on a shared desire to prevent disasters such as Piper Alpha ever happening again.
“Furthermore, across the world, organisations are recognising the importance of not only maintaining the safety of their assets, but of doing so in a risk-assured, business-orientated and compliant manner while remaining heedful of their reputation and public image.”
The programme is designed to start annually in January, although it is possible to study individual modules on a continuing professional development (CPD) basis.
For further details, visit www.rgu.ac.uk/energycentre, or e-mail Postgraduate Admissions@rgu.ac.uk