OREANDA-NEWS. January 15, 2008. Before the New Year holidays, a ceremony was held at Perm State Technical University (PSTU) to present personal certificates and gifts to the recipients of Uralkali (Berezniki, Perm Territory) scholarships, Uralkali's press service reports. During the ceremony, the primary results of the partnership between Uralkali and the university, begun in early 2006, were summarized. In 2006-2007, Uralkali allocated 16.8 million rubles to finance the development of PSTU and its Berezniki Branch (PSTU BB).

Funds provided by Uralkali were used to improve facilities of the university, create new departments and branches of study, and endow personal scholarships and grants. With the support of Uralkali, a department of mineral deposits exploitation technology and integrated mechanization was created at PSTU BB in 2007. During the period of agreement, 28 students of PSTU and PSTU BB were granted Uralkali personal scholarships. The scholarship amount is 1,250 rubles per month. Scholarship seekers must be students in the 4th and 5th years majoring in programs most needed by the company. The main criteria for candidate selection are high academic performance, the conducting of scientific research related to the company’s core activities, and successful traineeship.

Apart from personal scholarships, Uralkali instituted an award of 10,000 rubles for the winners of the Verkhnekamsky Kali contest, participants of which are students and graduates who wrote the best term or graduation papers related to fundamental and applied studies in the potash industry. The first contest winners were awarded at a ceremony held in 2007.

Sixteen candidates took part in the contest, of which four were named the winners. Elena Samsonova, HR Director, Uralkali:

- Perm State Technical University is a strategic partner of our company in training specialists for potash production. We are interested in helping to meet all conditions at PSTU that are required for high quality education and training of competent specialists.

Therefore, Uralkali is willing to provide active support to the university and its students. In 2008, another line of cooperation between our company and PSTU will be added: with our assistance the Potash Institute will be established at the university. It will be a unique specialized training and research center equipped with laboratories having no equivalents in the world.