From June 16 to 27, 2025, the China University of Petroleum-Beijing at Karamay (CUPK) hosted a delegation of faculty and students from Kazakhstan’s Satbayev University for an intensive oil engineering internship program. The program, which featured an opening ceremony, hands-on field and laboratory training, and a closing ceremony, served to strengthen practical education ties and foster cross-cultural understanding between the two institutions, reinforcing the strategic energy partnership between China and Kazakhstan.

Opening Session: Strengthening Bonds Through Education

The program commenced on June 16 with an opening ceremony at the J2 International Exchange Center. CUPK Vice President Xing Xiaokai extended a warm welcome to the delegates, highlighting Karamay’s role as a key petroleum industrial hub and its expanding collaboration with Central Asian nations. In response, Tursyngazy Mahabbat, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Geology, Oil and Gas Business at Satbayev University, expressed his gratitude for the opportunity and stressed the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation in student and faculty exchanges, joint postgraduate programs, and scientific research.

Before the ceremony, the Kazakh delegation toured a panorama model of the Karamay Campus and an exhibition detailing the university’s educational achievements. The vistiors, dressed in traditional attire, presented a vibrant cultural performance. A subsequent gift exchange symbolized mutual respect and enduring friendship between the two universities.

Hands-On Training: Bridging Theory and Practice

During the two-week program, 22 students from Satbayev University engaged in multi-dimensional practical training alongside their CUPK peers. Activities included visits to operational oilfield fronts, drilling training bases, and specialized laboratories, where students observed extraction processes, precision drilling operations, and geological exploration techniques. On-campus sessions involved operating multi-valve and pumping equipment, simulating blowout emergency responses, practicing equipment inspection protocols, and exploring remote instrument control systems. This comprehensive curriculum provided students with a robust, real-world understanding of petroleum production and operations.

Closing Ceremony: Celebrating Achievement and Future Collaboration

The intership concluded on June 27 with a closing ceremony attended by CUPK Secretary of the Party Committee and President Li Jun. In his address, President Li commended the students for their outstanding performance and evident enthusiasm for learning. He encouraged them to apply their newly acquired knowledge to contribute to the petroleum industry and to the ongoing energy cooperation between China and Kazakhstan.

Vice Dean Tursyngazy Mahabbat reciprocated thanks to CUPK for its meticulous organization and warm hospitality, expressing his eagerness for more collaborative projects to cultivate the next generation of energy talent. A student representative from Kazakhstan shared that the internship had not only enhanced their technical skills but also deepened their sense of a shared mission with energy professions, pledging to cherish the transnational friendship forged during their stay.

The ceremony culminated with CUPK faculty presenting internship completion and outstanding trainee certificates to the students, followed by a group photo session that captured the profound camaraderie between the participants.

This internship represents a significant milestone in China-Kazakhstan energy collaboration, signaling a strategic shift from project alignment to a new, deepened stage of talent co-development. The certificates conferred symbolize not just academic recognition, but a new starting point for cooperation, laying a solid foundation for sustained exchange and the shared cultivation of expertise in the global energy sector.