Honeywell UOP to continue partnerships with leading Vietnamese universities

Honeywell UOP will continue to help develop curricula and provide guest lecturers in addition to the 15 scholarships it will award in partnership with PetroVietnam University, Hanoi University of Science, and Ho Chi Minh University of Technology.

The first of the annual scholarships will be awarded at events to be held this week and next at each university.

“Last year Honeywell UOP launched this programme to recognise and motivate students in Vietnam in their study of hydrocarbon processing technology to contribute to the advancement of the oil refining, gas processing and petrochemical industries in Vietnam,” said Gavin P. Towler, chief technology officer and vice president, research and development at Honeywell UOP.

“We had great success in our first year partnering with these leading universities and we look forward to continuing to help future chemical engineers prepare for a career in this exciting and challenging field,” he added.

As part of the scholarship programme, Honeywell UOP will provide five scholarships at each university this year. At the end of the fourth year of studies, one scholarship recipient from each university will work at Honeywell UOP’s headquarters near Chicago next summer.

“My time at the UOP headquarters taught me so much,” said Tran Thi Thuy Tien, a student from PetroVietnam University who recently finished her visit to the United States. “The technology and resources available were so advanced and I am excited to bring everything I learned back to Vietnam.”

In addition to the scholarship programme, UOP will continue working with each university to develop their chemical engineering curriculum by assisting in course design, sponsoring lecture series by leading UOP engineers, and providing academic materials.

UOP will also provide opportunities for university faculty to further gain experience and knowledge in hydrocarbon processing technology through work assignments at UOP’s headquarters.

Last year, Honeywell announced the opening of its new regional Automation College at PetroVietnam University in partnership with PetroVietnam.

The college aims to boost the technical skills of local engineers through a variety of training initiatives in order to develop a strong future talent pool for the process industry in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

For that collaboration, Honeywell Process Solutions is providing a full suite of equipment – both hardware and software – being used in the curriculum. The college is located at PetroVietnam University.

“The UOP scholarship programme is helping to develop the best chemical engineering students in Vietnam while improving the chemical engineering curricula at Vietnam’s leading universities,” said Mai Trang Thanh, president, Honeywell Indochina.

“We already see how this is benefitting the students and the universities and developing the nation’s petrochemical capabilities,” she added.

Honeywell is a Fortune 100 diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; turbochargers; and performance materials.

Honeywell started operations in Vietnam in 2005 with offices in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Technology from UOP is being used in PetroVietnam’s Dung Quat refinery, which is the first refinery to be built in Vietnam.

Additionally, Honeywell provides a range of solutions and technology in Vietnam, including avionics systems, power equipment and parts for aircraft engines, security systems, process control solutions, building automation solutions and specialty materials.