Graduate of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) Gurban Orujov who studied Petroleum Engineering became the youngest Ph.D. student at Colorado School of Mines, one of the most prestigious higher educational institutions in the USA. After he submitted an application to the university Master program, Gurban was admitted for Ph.D. study without passing the Master degree.
– Congratulations on your success! How did you manage to achieve such an impressive result?
– To achieve such an ambitious goal, it is not enough just to complete the compulsory education program. It is also necessary to be able to use gained knowledge effectively. It is also important to find appropriate ways to achieve your objectives. I am confident that I succeeded because I worked hard to improve myself, read a lot never missed our lectures and practical lessons, and I was trying to learn something new every day. Self-confidence and aspiration to knowledge comprise my personal Formula of Success.
– Please tell about yourself.
– I was born in the Gakh district. After finishing my eight-year education at a secondary school in Gakh, I entered lyceum named after Zarifa Aliyeva in Baku. Having graduated from the lyceum in 2012, I earned 675 points at the entrance exams and entered the Baku Higher Oil School. I also became a Presidential scholar. During my studies at BHOS, I participated in a number of internships including on-the-job training at companies such as, for example, Halliburton, Oil Rocks Oil-and-Gas production Unit of SOCAR, and Baku refinery named after Heydar Aliyev.
– Did you manage to achieve goals you set for yourself when entering BHOS? How did the study at the Higher School help you to become a Ph.D. student at the Colorado School of Mines?
– I was lucky, because by the time I graduated from the school, the Baku Higher Oil School was already established. So, I became one of the first BHOS students and did my best to develop fully. In this regards, the Higher School helped me a lot, as the conditions here were perfect for effective training of the students. This enabled me to gain deep knowledge of my profession, which will be of benefit to me in the future. I am very grateful to the rector Elmar Gasimov and all our professors and teachers for this.
– Why have you chosen the Colorado School of Mines? What do you know about it? What are your expectations?
– I have chosen this higher educational school, as I read about their College of Earth Resource Sciences and conditions for postgraduate study. As I learned, the Colorado School of Mines is a teaching and research university, devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. It is considered one of the best national universities in the USA. In 2016–17, the university was ranked as the top institution in the world for mineral and mining engineering.
– What are you going to do after you obtain your Ph.D. degree?
– After completion of the postgraduate studies, I want to gain practical experience in the industry. And then I would like to come back to Baku to work in the field my specialization.