About the Program
"The relationship that we have with Yemen and Yemenis has ultimately been a reciprocal one. The country and the people have helped to build our company and the company has helped to build the community. We are proud to announce we will continue our scholarship program to award an additional 10 scholarships in January 2010." — Marvin Romanow, President and CEO, June 10, 2009
In 1987, Nexen and its joint venture partners entered into a partnership with the Government of Yemen to develop the Masila Project. This was once Nexen's most significant international project. Masila is also the largest oil project in Yemen, currently producing approximately 40 percent of the country's total oil output. Yemen has been a significant international region for Nexen since it first began Masila in 1993. It is still the country's largest oil project.
The relationship Nexen has with the Yemeni people, from the highest levels of government to residents in local communities, is critical to the company's success and sustainability in Yemen. Nexen has a firm commitment to playing a role in its development. Through partnering with the Government of Yemen and the Yemeni people, the company is investing in the country's human resource potential, its physical infrastructure and progress.
Support for Education in Yemen
Nexen celebrated the 10th anniversary of its flagship Yemen Scholarship Program in 2008. This initiative provides funding for qualified Yemeni students to complete post-secondary degrees in Canada and launch careers of their choosing. We have awarded 120 scholarships to date and over 60 students will have graduated from our program by the end of 2010.
Each scholarship underwrites the completion of a four-year post-secondary degree and includes the provision of tuition, books, accommodation, meals, health care insurance, monthly living allowance, and annual travel to Yemen. The value of each scholarship is approximately $145,000 (Canadian dollars) over a four-year period and each student is given the tools, resources and grounding for personal success in the program. It is Nexen's belief that the scholarships are among the most lucrative and comprehensive offered anywhere in the world today.
Impact of Program
The Yemen Scholarship Program is building a legacy of personal achievement, creating access to higher education and cross-cultural experiences, and contributing to enhanced governmental and institutional expertise that will ultimately be of benefit to the Yemeni people.