Translated material
The largest oil and gas institute in the Russian Federation was opened at Sakhalin State University
The Technical Oil and Gas Institute at Sakhalin State University (SakhSU) opened last Monday in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.
Governor of the Sakhalin Region Alexander Khoroshavin, President of Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL) James Taylor and Rector of Sakhalin State University Boris Misikov cut the red ribbon. The ceremony was also attended by US Consul General in Vladivostok Sylvia Reed Curran.
“This is unique not only for the region, but also for the entire system of higher education in the country - for the first time, on the terms of a public-private partnership with the largest company in the world - Exxon - a new university is opening in the country,” the governor emphasized.
According to him, in the region there is a shortage of engineering specialists in the oil and gas industry of about 1.5-2 thousand people. “Now, every year about 150 children of different specialties will graduate from these walls,” the governor noted. It is also important, the head of the region believes, that hundreds of young people will remain on Sakhalin.
“We will stop their leakage outside the region - we ourselves need young and talented specialists,” Khoroshavin emphasized.
Taylor, in turn, said: “Almost half of the employees of Exxon Neftegas Limited are graduates of universities in the Sakhalin region. But we need engineers and scientists. And here my dream comes true - the institute is equipped with everything necessary for the successful education of students.”
According to the governor, about $12-13 million has already been invested in the project to create a technical institute. In April 2012, an agreement was signed between ENL and Sakhalin State University. ENL invested $5 million in the creation of the university to equip the technical oil and gas institute. The companies Kents Russia, Fluor Daniel Eurasia, and Schlumberger, operating in Sakhalin, also contributed to equipping the new institute. Recently, a cooperation agreement was concluded with the company RN-Sakhalinmorneftegaz.
Hundreds of pieces of modern laboratory equipment, computer simulators and classes, mock-ups were purchased, and even a nanoresearch laboratory was created. The building for the technical oil and gas institute was acquired by the regional government and donated to SakhSU for use free of charge. About a thousand students, including part-time students, will study in the new building.
Here they will train specialists in the field of ecology and environmental management, geology, oil and gas, operation of transport and technological machines and complexes, and construction. The university will invite teachers from leading Russian universities, educational institutions in Canada and the USA to train students. Methodological assistance to the institute will be provided by the Moscow State University of Oil and Gas named after. Gubkina.
The university recently signed a contract for the construction of a building for a technical institute, where an international scientific oil and gas center should appear in the future.