A group of 15 Masters students from nine different universities in Japan are spending four weeks at Robert Gordon University (RGU) as part of the Nippon Foundation Marine Pioneers of the Future Scholarship Programme, studying modules led by RGU staff on marine engineering, oil and gas, and offshore renewables.
The group will also spend five days in Orkney carrying out site visits with energy and environmental consultancy Aquatera, as well as taking part in a packed cultural itinerary which will see them visit Edinburgh, tour a distillery and have dinner with the Lord Provost of Aberdeen.
As part of the programme, students will be asked to develop their own project addressing industry issues and will then present their findings to industry and the university.
The Nippon Foundation, a social innovation grant organisation, is leading the effort to enhance capacity building in offshore engineering in Japan and both the students and RGU faced a competitive selection to be involved in the initiative.
The subsea industry in Japan is rapidly developing and the country is increasingly looking to Aberdeen as a centre for subsea excellence.
The Principal of RGU, Professor Ferdinand von Prondzynski , said: “As a university which specialises in oil and gas related teaching and research, as well as clean energies, we feel we have a lot to offer the students during their visit and very much hope they enjoy their time with us in Aberdeen.
“We hope this is the start of a deepening relationship for the university with Japan, where we are already working in the areas of environmental monitoring and health.”
Head of the Office of Marine Development Capacity Building at the Nippon Foundation, Masanori Yoshida , said: “Scotland has taken the initiative in the offshore oil and gas and marine renewable energy sectors, while RGU has collaborated with industry for many decades and developed its advantage in these sectors.
“I hope that the students can learn a lot of things from the programme and that we can further strengthen our relationship in the future.”
Scottish Development International (SDI) has supported the development of the collaboration between RGU and Nippon Foundation.