Students of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) have started their summer internship and on-the-job training. Dean of BHOS Engineering department Zafar Gurbanov tells about the program objectives, importance and specific features.
– At what organizations do BHOS students undertake the internship?
– As one of the leading higher educational institutions in Azerbaijan, BHOS pays close attention to the issues of the students’ professional development. Every year our students undertake on-the-job training to apply knowledge they gained into practice. The internship is arranged at various SOCAR facilities and at international companies operating in the country and abroad including petrochemical companies PETKIM and STAR in Turkey.
This year, 326 BHOS students participate in the summer internship. Out of them, 140 Petroleum Engineering students undertake on-the-job training at various SOCAR’s oil-and-gas production units including 28 May, Absheron and Bibiheaybat of Azneft Production Union. Chemical Engineering students have the industry practice at the refinery named after Heydar Aliyev and Azerikimya Production Union. Beginning from the July 1 this year, 49 Process Automation Engineering students start their internship at international companies including Emerson Process Management, Avandsis Group, Schneider Electric, NÖC ve Avtomatika LLC, and ATENAU LTD. For the first time, internship for some of our students is arranged at Azersu OJSC.
– Please tell about the internship objectives. Why it is important?
– The on-the-job training enables the students to consolidate theoretical and practical knowledge they gain at BHOS. In addition, it forges them as specialists in their fields. During the internship, the undergraduates learn how to work in a team consisting of high-qualified and experienced professionals. Moreover, they participate in various projects and study modern equipment and technologies. In addition, the interns are acquainted with safety rules and HSE procedures and are provided with personal protection equipment according to industry safety requirements.
– What makes this internship different from the previous ones?
– In the past, BHOS teachers assigned various tasks to interns. This year, they are instructed by the specialists of those companies and organizations where they undertake on-the-job training. Upon the practice completion, the students prepare reports, which can be submitted only after they are checked with usage of the plagiarism-prevention Turnitin system. Then a special commission assesses the reports and the results of the internship.
– Have any of the future graduates received job offer from international companies?
– As you know, SOCAR conducts nationalization policy in the energy sector. Its main objective is to train highly qualified local specialists with good knowledge of English language who can work in the oil and gas industry of Azerbaijan and participate in international projects. The Baku Higher Oil School participates in this policy implementation by training skilled oil and gas engineers. This summer we hold the first graduation ceremony. Most of our graduates already obtained employment at SOCAR and leading international companies such as, for example, BP, STAR, PETKİM, Maire Tecnimont Group, SOCAR Polimer, SOCAR Upstream и SOCAR AQŞ. Some of the graduates were admitted to master’s program at leading universities abroad.