Against the backdrop of the 2025 SCO Civil Friendship Forum & Sister Cities Forum—where Liaoning Province and Kazakhstan’s Atyrau Region signed a Letter of Intent on sister province-region ties—Liaoning Petrochemical University (LNPU) and Atyrau Oil and Gas University (AOGU) held a cooperation signing ceremony on July 3.
Present at the ceremony were Vice Rector Liu Jian (Rector now), Atyrau Region Governor Seitzhan Sharipkhanov, Atyrau Mayor Kenjin, and Akmor Zhomart (Head of AOGU’s International Affairs Office).
Governor Sharipkhanov emphasized Atyrau Region’s status as a key Kazakh oil and gas hub, noting AOGU—Kazakhstan’s only core oil and gas university—has strong academic strengths, and proposed joint talent cultivation in oil and gas engineering, geology, and automation. Akmor introduced AOGU’s disciplines and industry links. Liu Jian referenced his past collaboration with AOGU, outlined LNPU’s 75-year focus on petrochemicals, and expressed willingness for all-round cooperation (joint education, industry-academia-research, etc.). Sharipkhanov endorsed this, expecting strengthened Liaoning-Atyrau ties.
Witnessed by both sides, a framework agreement was signed, covering talent cultivation, research cooperation, and staff-student exchanges. The deal will boost China-Kazakhstan educational exchanges and support the Belt and Road Initiative in education. Atyrau government officials and LNPU’s international affairs staff also attended the ceremony.
