The Ministry of Education of Azerbaijan and bp today signed a Protocol of Intent on cooperation to found a new renewable energy programme in one of the local universitities.
The protocol marks the start of joint work on an important educational project that aims to train national professionals specialising in renewable energy related disciplines including the use of renewable energy technologies. This will be achieved by establishing a new master’s degree programme in a local higher educational institution through partnership with a UK university.
As part of the protocol a working group will be set up to define the technical aspects of the project including the selection of an implementing partner.
Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Education of Azerbaijan, said: “The concept of turning "black gold" into human capital, one of the important directions of state policy, created important opportunities to support the education of young people abroad. About 3,500 young people studied abroad within the "State Program for the Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad in 2007-2015" approved by the decree of President Ilham Aliyev. It is very important to train specialists in renewable energy and we are pleased to start cooperation with bp in this area. We also plan to implement research projects within this programme.”
Gary Jones, bp’s regional president for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey, said: “We are very pleased to extend our long and successful collaboration with the Ministry of Education to a new area in support of Azerbaijan’s energy transition efforts. The new university programme we will establish is designed to build a new field of expertise and capacity that the country will need to develop its renewable energy sector. This is a great project that supports Azerbaijan’s steps to the future of energy and our own purpose to reimagine energy for people and our planet.”
The project will be jointly funded by the Ministry of Education and bp. bp’s contribution to the project is $2 million.
Some 40 renewable energy professionals are expected to be trained a year through the new master’s degree programme.
Notes to editors
bp has been present in Azerbaijan for 28 years safely, efficiently and reliably operating major oil and gas exploration, development and transportation projects. To date, together with its partners, bp has invested around $82 billion into projects it operates in the country. In Azerbaijan, we are committed to supporting sustainability efforts focusing on the areas where we believe we can make the most difference.
Our extensive social investment activities and capacity-building efforts in the country have had a positive impact and brought tangible benefits to people, improving their lives and making difference.
Our social investments cover such areas as building local capabilities, education, development of communities, local enterprises, the environment, sporting potential as well as research and promotion of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Overall, since the start, bp itself and together with its co-venturers in the joint ventures that bp operates in Azerbaijan, has spent more than $96 million on social investment projects in this country.
In the first three quarters of 2021, bp and the co-venturers in bp-operated joint ventures spent $1.1 million in Azerbaijan on social investment projects. In addition, in the three quarters of the year, bp alone spent around $1.0 million on various social and sponsorship projects in this country.
In Azerbaijan, bp directly employs around 2,300 Azerbaijani citizens who make over 90 per cent of the company’s professional staff.
For more information about bp and co-venturers’ social investment projects please visit bp Azerbaijan site at www.bp.com/azerbaijan.
Tamam Bayatly at bp’s press office in Baku.
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