Baku, July 8, AZERTAC

It was the seventh Graduation Day for bachelor's degree graduates and the fifth for master’s degree graduates of Baku Higher Oil School.

The event began with the performance of the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Then a video prepared by SOCAR on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev was screened.

It was noted at the event that National Leader Heydar Aliyev was the author of the Oil Strategy that have laid a foundation for achieving successes in all areas in Azerbaijan, including the science and education sphere. It was also emphasized that the Youth Strategy of the Great Leader is being successfully continued by President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and young people are being shown care and attention by the state.

Opening the event with a keynote speech, BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov congratulated the graduates on a significant day and wished them success. The rector said that in the 2022/2023 academic year, a total of 258 students graduated from Baku Higher Oil School, 160 of whom are bachelor's degree graduates and 98 - master's degree graduates.

“These graduates, who entered our university with high scores and were nurtured as professionals here, have stepped up to the next stage in their career and education. I would like to stress with great pride that our students who have graduated this year have also distinguished themselves by their successes. They work at various local industrial enterprises, including those of SOCAR, foreign companies, private and public institutions. These graduates have entered the prestigious universities across the world and have been awarded scholarships. Of the 160 students who have graduated this year with a bachelor’s degree, 54% are employed, 33% have received scholarships to study at prestigious foreign universities, and the rest are considering job offers. 79% of master's degree graduates are employed. 21 graduates are participants of SOCAR’s Young Talents Program. This year, the first graduation of Information Security specialists, who are in high demand in the labor market, is taking place here. This specialty, launched at the university 5 years ago, has the highest passing rate in the country. 67% of students of this specialty got employed while still studying at BHOS. Our achievements once again prove that Baku Higher Oil School is a clear example of the successful realization of the slogan "We must turn oil capital into human capital!", proclaimed by our esteemed President, Mr. Ilham Aliyev. BHOS, established within the structure of SOCAR by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, has successfully fulfilled and continues to fulfill its mission of training highly qualified English-speaking specialists.”

Then Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov spoke at the event. He wished the graduates success in the new stage of their lives and said that Baku Higher Oil School is a higher educational institution with an infrastructure that meets modern standards and a high educational environment, where highly qualified specialists are trained. The Minister expressed confidence that these graduates will benefit the country and state.

Speaking at the event, SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf congratulated the graduates and their parents and expressed confidence that the graduates will contribute to the development of Azerbaijan and play a big role in achieving the goals set by SOCAR. Rovshan Najaf thanked the teaching staff of the university and stressed that their industriousness plays a big role in the development of students as professionals. The SOCAR President wished success to the graduates and advised them to constantly develop their knowledge and skills in a rapidly changing world.

Congratulating the graduates and wishing them success, BP Regional President for Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey Gary Jones said that since its establishment, the Baku Higher Oil School of SOCAR has successfully cooperated with BP and that a number of projects have been implemented as part of this cooperation. Gary Jones noted that BHOS students do internships at BP and successfully participate in various programs, and that BHOS graduates work in various positions at BP.

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Science and Education Idris Isayev said that Baku Higher Oil School trains specialists who are in demand in the labor market. He thanked the leadership of SOCAR and the teaching staff of BHOS for the conditions created at the university and the training of highly qualified specialists. The Deputy Minister wished the graduates success and advised them to constantly develop their knowledge and skills.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of the State Examination Center (SEC) Maleyka Abbaszade congratulated the graduates who became BHOS students 5 years ago, having scored high in the entrance exams held in a highly competitive environment, and wished them success. She noted that a high-level educational environment has been created at Baku Higher Oil School and that students studying at this university acquire knowledge and skills that meet the requirements of modern times.

After the speeches, Afag Hashimova, a graduate of Chemical Engineering Department, the best BHOS graduate of 2023, the Student of the Year, engraved her name on a symbolic tree stump. Afag Hashimova said she is proud to be a BHOS graduate. She thanked the university leadership and dedicated teachers who had contributed greatly to her becoming a highly qualified specialist.

Nigerian student Inyama Somtochukwu Chidinma, a graduate of Petroleum Engineering Department who studied at BHOS with a scholarship from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), spoke at the event on behalf of foreign students in Azerbaijani. He spoke about what Baku Higher Oil School has given him, and sang the song “Sarı Gəlin”.

The Graduation Day continued with a convocation ceremony. Rector Elmar Gasimov stressed that like in previous years, this year all BHOS graduates will traditionally be awarded diplomas on Graduation Day.

First, diplomas were awarded to the graduates who graduated with honors, became the best students in their specialties, were going to join military service, successfully graduated from BHOS and participated in the SOCAR’s Young Talents program. The diplomas were presented to the graduates by SOCAR President Rovshan Najaf and BHOS Rector Elmar Gasimov.

After the convocation ceremony, the event continued with the artistic part.

It should be noted that in the 2022/2023 academic year, 54 students majoring in Petroleum Engineering, 42 students majoring in Chemical Engineering, 40 students majoring in Process Automation Engineering and 24 students majoring in Information Security graduated from Baku Higher Oil School. In this academic year, 16 students of engineering specialties and 82 students of the MBA program graduated from BHOS with a master's degree. 18 students graduated with honors from Baku Higher Oil School this year.