Institution news
Proud to support local membership in all areas of the world, the Institution holds regular Professional Review Interviews (PRIs) which are conducted by volunteers. In September 2013, and in June 2014, Rachel Leech travelled to Azerbaijan to support the work of PRI volunteers and to welcome new members.
Rachel was also supporting the work of BP as an employer with strong links to the Institution – both as a global organisation and as a historical partner of the Institution – in its backing of Azerbaijani employees’ applications for membership. She accompanied interviewers and welcomed national engineers working for BP as they became professionally registered members of the Institution.
BP opened its office in Baku in 1992. Two years later the organisation and the consortium of international oil companies signed a major contract with the government of Azerbaijan. Today, offshore Caspian has become one of the world’s leading hydrocarbon provinces.
This development has stimulated social and economic progress in the region. Its success is measured to a large extent by the degree to which benefits are shared with the people of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey (AGT) and the region as a whole.
Gerry Corrigan CEng MIMechE, BP AGT Rotating Equipment Technical Authority in Baku, Azerbaijan said: “We have been working closely with the Institution to help advance the professional registration of the AGT engineering team.”
“Here in BP AGT region we are acknowledging the wealth of both national and international talent at our disposal by supporting our engineers as they strive to achieve Chartered or Incorporated Engineer status. We are therefore ensuring that our people receive the recognition they deserve through the endorsement of the market leader among professional engineering bodies, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers,” Gerry said.
Rachel was able to meet the applicants during her visits, but also retained contact and links from her London base, using video and email to keep momentum going.
She commented: “I am delighted that a number of BP’s valued national engineers became members of the Institution in September 2013, and a further nine engineers were interviewed this summer. The Institution aims to show that engineers working in any location in the world are able to engage with, and share the benefits of, membership of the Institution. In time, small groups will grow and sustain themselves with mentoring programmes and monitored professional development schemes (MPDS).”
Eldar Akhundov IEng MIMechE is a mechanical engineer with the AGT Midstream Discipline Engineering Team. He said that he was proud to have become an Incorporated Engineer and Member of the Institution.
“The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is a global professional engineering institution, which brings engineers from all over the world together. I am proud to be part of this giant engineering community. I will have access to development opportunities and new experience,” Eldar said.
Eldar says that his future ambitions for his career, which are supported by his membership, include further development of his engineering knowledge in mechanical and related disciplines, such as metallurgy, materials science, and welding.
He added: “I encourage my colleagues to aim for professional registration, as I believe it is important for everyone who sees their future career in engineering.”
Gerry Corrigan concluded: “Our engineers in BP’s AGT Region will be members of the largest network of mechanical engineering knowledge, skill and opportunity in the world. Their Institution membership will confirm that they are part of a global technical community, trained to the highest standard.”
Rachel is returning to Baku in September to support more engineers’ applications to become professionally registered with the Institution.
If you, or your company, would benefit from international business development support locally, please contact Rachel at global@imeche.org.
Or find out how to become a member of the Institution.