OREANDA-NEWS. April 22, 2010. National Company KazMunayGas and Kazakhstan Association of Petroleum and Energy Complex Organizations “KazEnergy” announce completion of the competitive selection for awarding the best students of Kazakhstan’s specialized higher education institutions and teachers of oil and gas disciplines of specialized secondary schools Safi Utebayev scholarships and grants.

As is known, S. Utebayev is one of the originator’s of Kazakhstan’ oil-and-gas industry. Devoting all his life to the development of the oil and gas industry, he attached paramount importance to training of highly-knowledgeable specialists.

A total of 11 teachers from 5 vocational schools and colleges and 63 students from 5 HEIs have taken part in the competition, incl. 10 people studying on a commercial basis and 53 people – on governmental grants.

- S. Utebayev educational grant is unique in the sense that it's for the first time in Kazakhstan’s practice that not only students, but also teachers of oil and gas disciplines of technical and vocational development educational institutions can participate, - Serikbek Yelshibekov, General Manager for Business Support of JSC NC "KazMunayGas" noted.

Following the results of voting by the working group comprised of the members of KazEnergy Association, 9 winners have been determined. Among them there are 3 teachers of specialized educational institutions: Zhaukashty Cherkeshov (Beineu Vocational School), Klara Mustafina (Ural College of Gas, Oil and Industry Technology), and Dossan Yeshmanov (Mangistau Polytechnic).

Among the students of specialized HEIs the winners are as follows: Erik Atashev (KBTU), Marat Ibagarov (KBTU), Gabit Kusherbayev (KazNTU named after K. Satpayev), Bakhtiyar Aliyev (KazNTU named after K. Satpayev), Indira Shugailova (Atyrau Institute of Oil and Gas), Zhadyra Kubeseitova (Sh. Yessenov Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering).

- Winning S. Utebayev grant has become a pleasant surprise to me, - Dossan Yeshmanov, Director of the Mangistau Polytechnic, Candidate of Science (Technical), the author of 17 learned works and methodological textbooks for teachers, said. – It is very important that KMG today pays special attention to development of vocational and technical education, and first of all, to support to teachers. This gives a strong impulse to further work, - he noted.

- Even though the requirements to the candidates were stringent enough – excellent learning performance, active scientific and community work, participation in scientific conferences, I am proud to say that I have managed to become one of the 6 best students that have won S. Utebayev scholarship, - Zhadyra Kubeseitova, student of the “Geology and Exploration of Mineral Deposits" faculty at the Sh. Yessenov Caspian State University of Technology and Engineering, added.

We would like to note that in assessing the activities of teachers such indicators were take into account as availability of scientific papers, participation in development of textbooks, guidelines and methodological textbooks (personally or as a co-author), use in the academic activities of innovative teaching technology, and supervision of research and creative activities of students. The principal criteria for selecting students of HEIs were the GPA level of not lower that 3.5, membership in professional associations, and participation in republic-wide and international scientific events, and availability of publications.

According to the organizers, the keen interest of students and teachers has necessitated expansion of this project. Therefore, in the 2010-2011 academic year an increase in the number of scholarships and grants to 15 is planned, including 5 grants for teachers.

More detailed information on the competition and its winners can be found on the web-sites of KMG NC (www.kmg.kz) and KazEnergy Association (www.kazenergy.com).