Proman donates US$300,000 to UWI Dennis Patrick Chair

Methanol and ammonia producer Proman and The University of the West Indies (UWI) recently announced the continuation of the company’s support for the Dennis Patrick Chair in Petroleum Engineering, which began in 1997. Patrick was the former managing director of Methanol Holdings (Trinidad) Ltd (MHTL).

The renewal of the US$300,000 partnership, covering the period 2021 and 2022, took place on May 16 at the office of the principal, where MHTL chairman Dr Euric Bobb and CFO Ravi Cardinez made the presentation to UWI St Augustine pro vice chancellor and principal Prof Brian Copeland, Prof Andrew Jupiter, co-ordinator of petroleum studies and current holder of the Dennis Patrick Chair, and Prof Raffie Hosein, head of the university’s Chemical Engineering Department.

At the ceremony, Bobb said, “At Proman and MHTL we are extremely proud of this partnership with the UWI, which spans over two decades. Investing in our nation’s youth is a key part of our company’s commitment to Trinidad and Tobago’s continued growth.

“Our colleague Dennis Patrick was a passionate advocate for education and sharing our wealth of industry experience. He was an invaluable mentor for many of the individuals who have gone on to become current and future leaders in our business, and the establishment of this chair in his name ensures that his pioneering legacy within the industry lives on.”

Jupiter said, “The partnership between the UWI and Proman, through MHTL, is one the university can endorse as the longest-standing relationship with any chair throughout the Engineering Department.

“Through Proman’s support, graduates are making a tremendous contribution at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, as well as within other energy companies locally and internationally.

“From our first group of graduates in 1999 to the students completing programmes within the faculty in 2021, 202 students have graduated with MScs in petroleum engineering and 121 students with the diploma in petroleum engineering.

“Of special note is the partnership established with the UWI and the University of Guyana, where five students from Guyana completed the MSc in petroleum engineering programme. This demonstrates the significance of the work being done through this initiative both locally and regionally.”

Among students graduating from the MSc in petroleum engineering programme is Proman maintenance engineer Enoch Ghany, who works in the company’s methanol division.

As a direct beneficiary of this programme, Enoch acknowledged both Proman and the university’s contribution to the development of the wider energy sector through this investment.

He said the programme "delivered more than just academic knowledge. As a graduate, it completely altered my thinking about the vast possibilities that can be derived from a career rooted in engineering. This programme not only benefits the students at the university, but it also adds value to the economy of TT.”