USTU and the University of Novi Sad Have Signed a Protocol on Cooperation

On March 6, 2014 a ceremonial signing of the Protocol on long-term business cooperation between the "Mihajlo Pupin" Technical Faculty of University of Novi Sad and Ukhta State Technical University was held in USTU.

University of Novi Sad is a Serbian University, the second largest in the country. The university was founded in 1960. It includes 14 faculties, among them there is Mihajlo Pupin Technical Faculty, which is located in Zrenjanin (founded in 1986 on the basis of a Pedagogical Technical Faculty, established in 1974).

In welcoming the participants of the ceremony, USTU Rector, Professor N.D. Tskhadaya told about the main line of cooperation between the universities. Exchange of university professors to give lectures is primarily expected as well as exchange of students for practical trainings. The main objective of the protocol on cooperation is the exchange of experience between Ukhta and Serbian universities.

USTU Rector also noted the important role played by the partnership between the university with the initiator of this educational project, a leading Serbian oil company NIS - Gazprom Neft JSC. Rector noted: "Already, Ukhta University submitted two candidates for the future employment of graduates."

A.Yu. Shibanov, Deputy Director General for Administration of NIS - Gazprom Neft expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and noted the importance of cooperation, saying: "This project is bound to succeed, because there is a will, there's huge enthusiasm, and most importantly, there are people with whom we are going to work in the future. We have already made up our minds. For us it is important that our Company employ professionals, as NIS - Gazprom Neft is one of the largest companies in Serbia. And thanks to our cooperation with Ukhta University, we will employ highly qualified specialists who will be able to make the Company a leader not only in Serbia, but in the whole of southern Europe. This is our strategic objective, our far-reaching plans. I am extremely optimistic about our cooperation and I'm confident that it will be successful."

Director of Sector for Training and Development of function on organizational matters of NIS - Gazprom Neft, D.S. Reznik, also emphasized the possibility of successful interaction, saying: "One of the most reasonable areas of the Company is staff training at the stage of learning at the university. Ukhta University demonstrated a strong scientific base, which competes with leading universities not only in Russia but also in Serbia. This again confirms the possibilities for fruitful cooperation."

Professor Radovan Pejanović, Vice-Rector of the University of Novi Sad, and Dr. Milan Pavlović, dean of Mihajlo Pupin Technical Faculty of the University of Novi Sad, in their turn, were impressed by scientific and technical base of Ukhta University, as well as by its modernity: "We are working with different universities in the developed European countries. These include, for example, universities in Austria, Germany and Italy. But I want to note that few universities in the world have such laboratories and such an organization. Ukhta university is really a XXI century University. For us it is a great pleasure and great honor to work with your university."

Honorary guests of the ceremony were also the mayor of Zrenjanin, Ivan Boshnyak and Deputy Permanent Representative of the Republic of Komi under the RF President, Elena I. Vasilieva. The ceremony was attended by USTU First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, N.S. Fedotov, Vice-Rector for Teaching & Studies and Additional Education, O.A. Sotnikova, Vice-Rector on Education and Social Issues, D.N. Bezgodov, Vice President for Safety, A.N. Dozmorov, director of the Institute of Oil and Gas, E.Z. o. Yagubov, Professor in the Department of Machinery and Equipment of Oil and Gas Industry, I.Yu. Bykov, director of the Institute of Economics and Management, M.K. Petrov and associate professor in the Department of Oil and Gas Fields Development & Exploration and Subsurface Hydromechanics, O.A. Morozyuk.

The visit programme of the guests from Serbia included a number of workshops, tours, concerts, as well as the signing of a protocol on cooperation between Ukhta and Zrenjanin.