TPAO's University Collaboration

Türkiye Petrolleri Anonim Ortaklığı (TPAO) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Melih Han Bilgin and his delegation visited Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University's Çaycuma Campus. During the visit, Melih Han Bilgin announced that cooperation with the university would continue to increase. Present at the visit were Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çufalı, Vice Rectors, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Director of the Filyos Sustainable Development Application and Research Centre, Directors of Çaycuma Vocational School and Food Agriculture Vocational School. The visit addressed potential contributions to neighbouring provinces, districts and universities resulting from the implementation of the Filyos Valley Project, and discussions and cooperation were held on departments and programmes aimed at employment. TPAO Chief Executive Officer Bilgin emphasized the importance of cooperation with Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University in terms of academic and scientific support during the implementation of the mega project and the process of the Filyos region becoming a commercial, industrial and logistics energy hub. He stated that within the scope of the project, cooperation with Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University would continue to increase in the process of directing current research and development activities to industry correctly and rapidly, and communicating and designing industry needs with expert academics, and conveyed his thanks to Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çufalı for their work.

"Our university will play a role in every stage of the Filyos Valley Project"

Rector Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çufalı expressed his satisfaction at being a stakeholder in the Filyos Valley Project, which ranks among Turkey's largest investments for national and regional development and will change the fate of Zonguldak and the region. In this context, Prof. Dr. Mustafa Çufalı underlined that they designated 2021 as the 'Filyos Year' for the university, and stated that scientific activities related to Filyos were conducted through the Filyos Workshop and Filyos Congress. Prof. Dr. Çufalı emphasized that they are in constant consultation with TPAO, which plays an active role in bringing the natural gas discovered in the region onshore, and noted that communication and interaction with TPAO management would continue within the framework of research and development, innovation and industry partnership. He added that Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, as one of the important driving forces of the city and the Western Black Sea Region, would play a role in every stage of this mega project through all types of academic and scientific infrastructure support to be provided within the framework of university-industry cooperation. The visit concluded with mutual exchange of views and assessments.