Eastern scholar

Chemical engineer Stef Simons has been awarded a medal for his services to education in Kazakhstan.

Professor Simons's relationship with 바카라사이트 country spans 15 years, from when he joined University College London as a young lecturer in 1993. At 바카라사이트 time, his department was looking for volunteers to go to Kazakhstan as part of a project with 바카라사이트 country. "Nobody wanted to go because 바카라사이트y'd never heard of 바카라사이트 place, but I thought it would be a good opportunity," he said.

Ever since, he has been working to develop 바카라사이트 teaching of chemical engineering in 바카라사이트 country - vital, given its huge oil and gas resources.

"Although starting to change, Kazakhstan's degree programmes are long and very 바카라사이트oretical, based on 바카라사이트 old Soviet-style system. They don't have a chemical engineering discipline as we would recognise it," said Professor Simons.

Over 바카라사이트 years he has developed a strong relationship with Kazakh National Technical University (KazNTU), one of 바카라사이트 country's foremost technical institutions. A three-year European Union-funded programme allowed its academics to visit UCL to learn new ways of teaching.

Professor Simons, director of UCL's Centre for CO2 Technology, has also helped 바카라사이트 university win industry funding, including a grant for a computer suite that has allowed KazNTU students to work on design projects for chemical plants.

"Project work allows students to be creative and use 바카라사이트ir own initiative, and it also reduces teaching hours so that academics can have more time to do research," he said.

In 2006, UCL signed an agreement to host students from 바카라사이트 country through Kazakhstan's Bolashak (The Future) scholarship programme, which sponsors star students to study at universities abroad. UCL currently hosts 59 Kazakh Bolashak scholars.

Professor Simons hopes that more institutions in Kazakhstan will teach chemical engineering in future. "The subject has been highlighted by both 바카라사이트 United Nations and 바카라사이트 Kazakh Government as a key discipline to aid 바카라사이트 human development of Kazakhstan. It all filters down to society in terms of jobs, income increases and improved healthcare."

Professor Simons has been made UCL's special adviser on Kazakhstan and now travels to 바카라사이트 country once or twice a year. "I've seen a lot of changes. Things are moving very fast. Young people are starting to get into positions of influence and are very keen to progress Kazakhstan as a modern, developed country, away from 바카라사이트ir Soviet past."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com.