bp supporting national talent through international education
Baku, July 31, AZERTAC
bp, on behalf of its co-venturers in the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC), Shah Deniz and South Caucasus Pipeline (SCP) projects — SOCAR, TPAO, LUKOIL, SGC, NICO, MOL, INPEX, ExxonMobil, ONGC Videsh, Eni, MVM, TotalEnergies and ITOCHU— is pleased to announce the successful completion of an educational social project aimed at helping develop highly qualified national talent in Azerbaijan.
The initiative reflects bp and its co-venturers’ commitment to supporting the country's sustainable future by helping build world-class local expertise and capabilities.
The project supported 30 talented Azerbaijani students from low-income families, providing them with comprehensive assistance throughout the international university application process. Participants were selected based on their academic performance, English language proficiency and potential to pursue higher education abroad.
During the project, the students received extensive preparation support through more than 50 group and individual training sessions. These sessions helped them prepare for tests required for admission to leading international universities, including IELTS, SAT, TOEFL, Duolingo, GRE and GMAT exams. The participants also received guidance on selecting universities, preparing application packages, writing motivation and recommendation letters, as well as identifying scholarship opportunities.
While some application results are still pending, all 30 participants have already secured admission to at least one international university. Of these, 15 have been admitted to bachelor’s programmes, while 15 are pursuing master's degrees.
To date, participants have received around 120 admission offers from 52 universities across 17 countries. These include offers from leading international institutions, such as University College London, the National University of Singapore and the University of California, Berkeley. This achievement demonstrates both the students’ academic potential and the effectiveness of the support provided through the project.
An event was held today to celebrate the successful completion of the project and the achievements of the participants. During the event, the students received graduation certificates and shared their academic plans and aspirations.
Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli OBE, bp’s vice president for the Caspian, Central Asia, Türkiye region, said: "We are delighted to see the continued success of this initiative, which we have proudly supported for four years, helping talented young Azerbaijanis access educational opportunities that can shape their future and broaden their horizons. The results achieved so far demonstrate what is possible when talent, hard work and determination are matched with opportunity. By investing in the development of national talent today, we are helping equip a new generation of professionals with the knowledge, skills and global perspectives needed to support Azerbaijan’s sustainable future."
The project, which lasted 12 months, was supported by bp and its co-venturers with a contribution of 150,000 AZN (88,235 USD).
The project was implemented by the local organization ROOF Academic Training.
bp has been present in Azerbaijan for 34 years safely, efficiently and reliably operating major oil and gas exploration, development and transportation projects. To date, together with its co-venturers, bp has invested more than $89 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.
bp’s 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 a difference.
The company’s and its co-venturers’ social investments cover such areas as building local capabilities, education, development of communities, local enterprises, the environment, sporting potential as well as research into 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 $115 million on social investment projects in this country.
In Azerbaijan, bp directly employs around 2,322 Azerbaijani citizens who make over 90 per cent of the company’s professional staff.
For more information about bp and its co-venturers’ social investment projects please visit the bp Azerbaijan site at www.bp.com/azerbaijan.
Other news in this section
