bp announced a major educational project which aims to found a new master's degree programme in chemical engineering at Sumgayit State University. The project is driven by the needs of the labour market, the industrial potential and service areas of Sumgayit.

Aligned with the requirements of industry, the new curriculum includes such disciplines as chemical processes, production processes and environmental sustainability. The programme’s training content is specifically tailored for the purposes of Sumgayit’s industrial and technological enterprises and businesses.

Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, bp’s vice president for the Caspian region, said: “We believe the project is yet another successful effort to customise specialist training to the needs of businesses and industries. Chemical engineering is a discipline that Sumgayit needs more than any other city in the country. As a major industrial centre of Azerbaijan and a home to numerous modern industrial and technological enterprises, Sumgayit is in a big need of highly qualified chemical engineers.

“On the other hand, the project comes to life at a time when the importance of the chemical industry to the country`s overall economy is increasing and Sumgayit is the home to a significant portion of the country`s chemical potential. In this context, we hope the graduates of the programme will master modern technological knowledge, agile capabilities, innovative skills and most importantly will have the zeal and passion to support the industrial trends and the economic growth plans of their native city and the entire country.”

It is planned that the master’s programme will initially have 15 admissions in two areas of specialization – chemistry and technology of basic organic synthesis and chemical technology of polymers, while in the future the degree course will be expanded to encompass four more areas increasing its admissions to 95 students in total over the next five years.

To start with, the project will undertake the following activities:

∙ Up to 15 teachers of the university will be trained to upgrade their knowledge and subject matter capabilities based on the new curriculum and overall new teaching content;

∙ A group of teachers will then be assigned to overseas universities to practice the new content and learn about the latest developments and innovations in their subject fields;

∙ Leading international trainers and experts will be invited to share their experience, knowledge and skills with the programme’s teaching staff;

∙ Five competent teachers will be recruited from other local universities to diversify the teaching practices and pedagogical approaches;

∙ For a significant part of the academic period, the programme students will be invloved in the projects undertaken by industrial enterprises. This will enable them to prepare their theses using the practical knowledge they acquire from the industry.

∙ Chemical engineering and chemical laboratories and classrooms will be upgraded using modern technology and equipment. Through these facilities the university will establish close contacts with industrial enterprises offering new service opportunities.

The project cost is over 339,000 AZN ($199,400) with the duration of 13 months.