Industrial University. This is how we now celebrate Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after Safi Utebayev, one of two educational institutions in the region that trains specialists with higher education. After all, work is underway there to develop the integration of the industry. The country is witnessing how the black Shanyrak, trained by many oil workers, has spread its wings in recent years. On behalf of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the opening of a branch of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas at the educational institution also gave an impetus to the educational cause.
- Gulzada Tanirbergenovna, you have received an award from the hands of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. What is the weight and impact of this status on you?
- Thank you very much. Congratulations to the readers of the Atyrau newspaper on the Nauryz holiday!
The first spring festival - March 8th - has become special for me this year. Receiving the award from the hands of the head of state filled me with joy. The development of any country in a civilized context directly depends on the women's community and their intellectual capital. The country systematically organizes events aimed at developing gender policy and strengthening the status of women in society. The Miss Ana contest is also a confirmation of this.
- It is no secret that in recent years the public has begun to recognize Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after S. Utebayev in a new way. The educational institution is a dialogue platform where not only educational, but also country and even world issues are discussed. Was this one of your main missions?
- Within the framework of the "concept for the development of higher education in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2029", Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after S. Utebayev became an industrial university.
* Successful self-sufficient graduates laying the foundation for the prospects of comprehensive development of the region;
* Science capable of supporting the industry in an innovative context;
* The university has a dialogue platform on the way to unite industry, business and government agencies.
The innovations you are talking about also stem from this task of ours. The Industrial University exports educational activities to the world market, allows the region to consolidate professionals and increase intellectual capital. Thus, one of our missions is to give a new impetus to the socio-economic and technological development of the region.
- We have already published in our newspaper that the educational institution has published a roadmap for achieving carbon neutrality on the university campus by 2033. How is this initiative unfolding now?
- In the next ten years, the University will try to demonstrate by its example the reality of energy transformation, the preservation of soil and atmosphere and water in the oil and gas zone. We strive to be the drivers of transformation in creating a model of thinking, learning, research and ambitious climate action, realizing responsibility for the climatic future of the oil region.
The condition is to create an academic, scientific and educational community that will be a catalyst for sustainable development, offering extensive knowledge and resources to address climate change and create a society based on a balance between man and nature. At the end of last year, we approved the university's policy in the field of sustainable environmental development ESG. By the decision of the Academic Council, the university community has committed itself to the future generation, the community and the region for sustainable development and environmental conservation.
The mission of the university is to be an evolutionary driver of the region and the community, so we want to show by our own example that we can live, study and work in harmony in an environment surrounded by a hydrocarbon world.
- The University is the only university that trains specialists for the oil and gas industry. How important is this? Is there a demand for university graduates from enterprises?
-Formation of the university's integration role based on active interaction with production, technology and business, improving the quality of educational programs through the implementation of the principle of "industry – education – science" is the mission of the Industrial Committee established at the University. The top management of large companies and enterprises in the region as part of the committee plays an important role in teaching and advising students on the priority areas of Aung education.
Today, 33 companies allocate 1.8 billion tenge for corporate grants to study at our university. The University received free equipment for a total amount of more than 700 million tenge.
It is also worth noting that in 2015, Aung was the first in the country to introduce a dual education system in the higher education system. 60% of the classes in the program are held on the basis of companies, thus solving the issue of training specialists who are fully ready to perform specific activities at a particular enterprise. This academic year, 757 students are enrolled in the dual method in 93 companies.
- In accordance with the instruction of the President on the opening of branches of branch universities, the opening of a branch of the Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas also brought honor to your university. This proves once again that these two universities are closely linked. How are things going with the current course of work of the branch of the Russian University?
– The need to train a new generation of engineers and technical specialists is one of the main tasks. Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set new tasks for universities in Kazakhstan, instructed to educate a new generation of production engineers in domestic educational institutions, and improve the level of training of technical specialists.
A branch of Gubkin State University of Oil and Gas has been established on the basis of the University. Students are currently studying there in the specialties "construction and operation of oil and gas pipelines and oil and gas storage facilities", "oil and gas technologies", "geological modeling of natural oil and gas reservoirs".
In addition, together with the Colorado School of Mines, a roadmap has been developed for the opening of a branch in Atyrau in the areas of "petroleum engineering", "Geology", "management of engineering technologies".
- Raising science to a new qualitative level will undoubtedly contribute to the country's innovative breakthrough. World experience shows that science develops primarily in the university environment. At the same time, what projects are there between the regional university and the akimat of the region to strengthen cooperation in the field of science?
- Atyrau University of Oil and Gas named after S. Utebayev was one of the first in the country, together with the local executive body, initiated the involvement of regional science to solve the problems of the Atyrau region. Akim of the region Serik Shapkenov met with the university staff and held a meeting on cooperation in the field of scientific research. As a result, the Scientific and technical council under the Akim of Atyrau region started working on the basis of Aung. We know that all this is a step that will strengthen the role of the university in society and give an impetus to entering the global educational space. Aung is working to become a regional research center that will create an ecosystem of technological cooperation during the formation of the industrial university. These are the first indicators of the transformation of a regional university into an industrial university as a transfer of knowledge and technology.
- Thanks for the story. Good luck in your endeavors!