OREANDA-NEWS. April 22, 2011. Gazprom Neft's Project Academy today opened at the SKOLKOVO School of Management in Moscow. Managers and specialists from Gazprom Neft's corporate centre and staff from the company's subsidiaries will take part in specialised training at the Academy. Shell, Gazprom Neft's partner in the development of the Salym deposit, will also be a partner in the programme.

The aim of the multi-module integrated training programme is to provide the best practice in the area of project management to Gazprom Neft's staff. Employees will also be trained in a single methodology for implementing large projects, and strengthening cooperation to help tackle problems which could occur.

50 specialists from Gazprom Neft who are involved in the Company's major projects will be the first participants in the programme.

The training at the Academy is built on modular principles. Over the course of a year, the students will undergo training in five modules: "Leadership in managing large projects", "Negotiations, contractors & procurement", "Financial management", "Human resources management" and "Portfolio management". During the training, the emphasis will be on working with the real situations that arise when implementing major projects. The involvement of specialists from Shell will allow those on the course to learn from their experiences operating around the world.

"Gazprom Neft's further development and the fulfilment of its strategic plans will largely depend on the company's participation in a new major projects, including those started "from scratch". By opening the Project Academy, we are pursuing a concrete aim - to provide training for our best specialists in order to aid them fulfil the ambitious tasks placed before them. The Academy is an investment in creating intellectual capital, which will allow the company to increase its effectiveness and competitiveness in the Russian and global markets", commented Alexander Dyukov, Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprom Neft.