We are proud to announce that Laman Jalilova, second-year Chemical Engineering student of the French-Azerbaijani University has become the individual winner of Skills Refinery Project, launched by British Petroleum (BP) and been invited to participate at the One Young World Summit in London in October, 2019.

We are sharing our interview with Laman on her warmest impressions of the project.

How did you find out about the program and decide to participate?

First time I came across the program “BP Skills Refinery” in October 2018. Ever since I stumbled upon a post about this program in “UFAZ Students” Facebook group, I opened myself up to a new event of opportunities I never got to experience before.

Who qualified to participate (eligibility criteria)?

There was only one requirement for taking part in this program - entrants had to be in full-time university education in their first or second year in one of the specified regions: Australia, Azerbaijan, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

What was the format of the contest?

The contest comprised of two steps. First, all the participants had to complete modules to test themselves by taking quizzes and develop their abilities in five skills areas such as critical problem solving, innovation, influence and communication, cognitive flexibility and emotional intelligence.

The first step was distinctively interesting as the platform resembled the gamified portal where we were finding resources to help us enhance those essential professional skills, as well as have fun.

Once I completed all five skill modules, I was eligible to enter the global challenge where I was asked to record and submit a 3-5 minutes long video on the topic of the energy transition and low carbon economy.

What is next?

As a winner of the program, I am going to attend the One Young World Summit 2019, which will take place in London in October 2019. During the summit, delegates partake in four transformative days of speeches, workshops, panels and networking. The summit convenes the brightest young talent from every country and sector, working to speed up social impact. I am very excited about attending the One Young World Summit 2019 and anticipate gaining lifelong experience during this event!

We congratulate Laman on this yet another great achievement of hers and wish many more accomplishments to come!

BP is a British multinational oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is one of the world's seven oil and gas supermajors. BP first arrived in Azerbaijan and opened its first office in Baku in June 1992.

The Skills Refinery is an award-winning online gamified portal where students can learn more about five key skills: emotional intelligence, communicating with influence, cognitive flexibility, critical problem solving and innovation. It was launched in August 2018 to students in Australia, Azerbaijan, Singapore, UK and US.

Students who completed all skills learning were invited to take part in a future-focused video challenge, answering a key question that showcased their understanding and application of these skills.

The video entries were evaluated by the Skills Refinery team (made up of external judges and two BP judges).