BP completes third phase of social investment project to support Azerbaijani talent

BP said on Friday it has successfully completed the third phase of its social investment project in Azerbaijan aimed at developing highly qualified local specialists.

The programme supported 30 talented Azerbaijani students from low-income families, providing training for SAT and IELTS exams and guidance on applying to top universities. All participants were admitted to leading institutions in Europe, Asia and the United States, including Cambridge, Imperial College London, Columbia University, UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins, KAIST and others.

Of the 30 students, 10 applied to undergraduate programmes and 20 to postgraduate programmes. Twenty-four have already secured scholarships from various sources, while six are awaiting decisions.

The initiative, carried out by local partner ROOF Academic Training, ran for 11 months from August 2024 to July 2025 and had a total budget of 150,000 manats ($88,235).

“Seeing the continued success of this initiative is very rewarding,” said Bakhtiyar Aslanbayli, BP’s vice president for the Caspian region. “It supports Azerbaijan’s talented youth and strengthens the country’s sustainable future.”

BP has operated in Azerbaijan for 33 years, investing more than $87 billion in oil and gas projects. It has also allocated over $111 million to social projects in education, community development, environment, entrepreneurship and culture. Azerbaijanis make up more than 90% of BP’s 2,395 employees in the country.