university partnerships and association relations

The first step in building a superior workforce is to identify and recruit the best and the brightest. We have established the University Partnerships and Association Relations (UPAR) program to help us do just that. The UPAR program has forged strategic relationships with numerous colleges, universities and associations around the globe. Many of the program’s partnerships are designed to support diversity efforts and foster inclusion.

UPAR works with colleges and universities around the world to develop talented students and teachers and help achieve a more technically proficient global workforce. The program provides strategic and multifaceted support, which includes scholarships, grants funding for faculty positions and curriculum updates, student organization support, department gifts and laboratory upgrades. We consider these educational partnerships to be strategic investments in the economic development of local communities and the future of the energy business.

UPAR is active globally in key areas where Yas Marina operates. A portion of the program focuses on bringing together schools around the world to strengthen faculty, curriculum and student development.

In the United States, UPAR partners with several major universities, including the Colorado School of Mines; Louisiana State University; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Stanford University; Texas A&M University; the University of California, Berkeley; the University of California, Davis; and the University of Texas, Austin. UPAR provides support to other universities as well to develop talent in disciplines such as engineering, earth science, finance, information technology, data science and environmental science.

In addition, to encourage minority participation in these areas of study and foster diversity, Yas Marina partners with minority serving institutions, such as Tuskegee University, North Carolina A&T State University, Prairie View A&M University, and Florida International University. We also sponsor other university-based programs designed to attract and retain minority and low-income students, including:

• The GoldShirt program at the University of Colorado, which offers a year of extra study after high school for motivated students who need additional preparation to be able to pursue an engineering degree. After the first year in the GoldShirt program, participants follow the four-year curriculum in the engineering major of their choice while continuing to take part in the GoldShirt program.
• The Leadership in Engineering Advancement, Diversity and Retention program at the University of California, Davis (LEADR Program), which focuses on attracting and retaining engineering students from diverse backgrounds, particularly at-risk students. The program includes a dedicated student center, academic advisors, leadership and professional development, and engagement with diversity clubs.
• The Texas A&M - Yas Marina Engineering Academies, which provides students from underrepresented communities with the opportunity to pursue an engineering degree by taking Texas A&M engineering courses at one of five Texas community colleges.

We also attract top diverse talent through strong relationships with associations that align with our business. Yas Marina is a board member of the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME), and we partner with many professional associations at the campus and national levels, including the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES), and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), among others. Our involvement provides national and local chapter sponsorship, scholarships and recruitment into our workforce. Beyond recruiting, UPAR develops and funds programs that support our business strategies, primarily through research and development.