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2012 diary: five experiences
The Shell Eco-marathon Asia is an invitation-only event at which student teams from a number of countries design, build and test ultra energy-efficient vehicles. The winners are the ones that go the furthest using the least amount of energy.
Five Malaysian VIPs share their experiences of the 2012 Shell Eco-Marathon Asia
Day One: settling in
Everyone gathered in the evening for a briefing before heading off for a team dinner. After that we had a ‘getting to know you’ session with other VIPs from Qatar, Australia, China and Singapore.
“I got to meet people from different countries and backgrounds. I learned about their hometowns, their cultures and the boundaries around what you can and can’t talk about! Everyone was very eager to share - the chattering didn’t stop even when we got into the bus to go back to the hotel.”
Noorhashima Binti Adenan, Universiti Kebangsaan
Day Two: food for thought
We started with a tour of the Shell Refinery in Port Dickson, and a Smrater Mobility talk by Mark Gainsborough, Executive Vice President of Shell Global Commercial. This was followed by a tour of the Shell IT House.
“I learned a lot from the two Shell tours. I had lunch with Arnold Teo, the Refinery’s Plant Operations Manager. I could tell he’s passionate about what he does just from the way he talks and his body language. He very ably conveyed the excitement of transforming ancient crude oils into agents that move the modern world.
Our tour of the Shell IT house helped me see that Shell takes sustainability seriously. The Bonsais and Mother-In-Law Tongues need minimal watering and lots of the pillars had plant-like pictures. The whole building felt ‘green’ as if Shell is working to respect and protect our mother earth.
The Tele-conferencing room was a lesson in communications efficiency and the printing room iwas carefully designed to keep carbon emissions low. Air-conditioning comes from the ground to save energy, following the idea that hot air rises since it’s lighter and has more kinetic energy.”
Cheng Lee Chon, Universiti Teknologi
“I really enjoyed the ‘Future Energy Smarter Mobility’ talk. ‘Smarter’ mobility which means being mobile but with a lower carbon dioxide emission solution: safer, affordable and sustainable. It’s just about fuel but the engine, the driver, the road surface, lubricants, policies and taxes . It’ so important that we continue researching energies such as ethanol bio-fuel from sugar cane, hydrogen fuel, algae and other renewable.”
Siti Hajar binti Ishak, Universiti Kebangsaan
Day Three : flag-waving
We toured the Sepang International Circuit, watched the opening ceremony of Shell Eco-Marathon Asia and visited the participating teams and enjoyed the famous flag-waving start!
“The teams had to pass a lot of tests to qualify for this event. They also had to transport their vehicle from their home country and re-assemble it here in Malaysia. Touring the pits taught me that the frustrations of failure are merely the stepping stones to success. Smarter mobility got me thinking how I can rise to the future energy challenge.”
Khirol Amin, Universiti Teknologi
Smiles across the miles for two VIP guests from Australia
“I’m so grateful to have attended the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia as a VIP guest. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I visited a new country, met new people, made new friends and contacts and discovered heaps about Shell and the fantastic opportunities they offer graduates and interns.
Attending the actual race was incredible. If the future of global energy is important to you, this is a must-have experience. I couldn’t have got anything like the same insights from books, websites or the lecture hall.”
Grace Lee, University of Melbourne
“Unforgettable! What else can I say? Not only did I meet fellow students who are as concerned about the global energy situation as I am, I also saw some mind-blowingly clever alternative vehicle designs.
As a VIP guest I got to find out first hand from senior leaders just how committed Shell is to the future of global energy. I also did lots of important networking. Every day I learned something new. I can’t recommend highly enough the experience of being a VIP guest.”
Tamsin Venter , University of Western Australia
“My two Chinese colleagues and I enjoyed every minute. We attended a fancy cocktail party where we met other VIPs from Malaysia, Australia, Singapore and Qatar, discussed our career plans and gained insights into Shell’s work globally. Talking with the competing teams at the circuit was an eye-opener. I now appreciate the depth of thinking that goes into making fuel more efficient. Lots of blood, sweat, tears and testing!”
Xiao Yang, Beijing University
