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BP opens five laboratories at the Qafqaz University

Release date:
24 May 2011

 

BP today opened five laboratories in the Baku-based Qafqaz University to further support education in Azerbaijan. The facilities are part of BP’s wider educational initiative launched in 2009 in collaboration with this university. The overall project aims to train specialists in chemical, petroleum and mechanical engineering disciplines through newly-established departments.

 

The newly-opened facilities are fully equipped modern laboratories specializing in such areas as general chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, chemical engineering and physical chemistry. They are designed to help the students of the university receive international standard education within the country.

 

The overall project is a joint initiative of BP and the Qafqaz University with a total value of $2,240,000. Of this BP’s contribution is $1,150,000 while the remaining cost is covered by the university.

 

Rashid Javanshir, BP’s Regional President, said: “We are pleased to see that BP’s cooperation with the Qafqaz University is yielding good results. The chemical engineering department has already been functioning for two years attracting very talented young people from all over Azerbaijan who have selected to be the first local graduates in this important discipline. I hope that the laboratories we are opening today will serve as a useful tool for them to acquire all knowledge, skills and expertise in their selected area which is very important for the development of this country.

 

“I am particularly pleased to hear that all students of the department have been admitted with high scores and even three of them with the highest possible scores that has allowed them to receive presidential scholarship. I am really honoured that BP supports such talented young people in Azerbaijan and would like to thank our partner in this project – the Qafqaz University, for the success of our joint initiative”.


Notes to Editors:

 

BP signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Qafqaz University in 2009 committing support for broadening the university’s scope to cover undergraduate education in chemical, petroleum, and mechanical engineering disciplines.

 

The project is being implemented in three phases with phase 1 targeting at establishing the chemical engineering department. Following the successful progress of Phase 1 the project will develop into Phases 2 and 3, and these will aim at creating the petroleum engineering and mechanical engineering departments.

 

The Phase 1 of the project has been successfully running for 2 years. The chemical engineering department was established in 2009 and since then it has admitted 29 students - 8 enrolled in academic year 2009-2010 and 21 in 2010-2011. Of these three students are awarded presidential scholarships based on their highest scores. All students admitted in 2010 are receiving government scholarships for their outstanding scores.

 

In addition to funding the project, BP has also committed to inviting students from the new departments to apply for BP’s existing internship programmes and take part in recruitment processes on equal basis with others; inviting BP experts to contribute to university’s engineering programmes through sharing their knowledge and experience in regular seminars and conferences; providing access to BP’s relevant laboratories to increase students’ exposure to the industry.

 

 

For further information:

Tamam Bayatly at BP’s Press Office in Baku, telephone: +994 12 599 4557