Litvínov, July
13, 2017 – Nearly twenty high-school teachers from the Ústí Region met with
representatives of Unipetrol, University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague
(UCT), and the Unipetrol Research and Education Center to sum up their
cooperation during the school year 2016-2017. A total of 489 students and teachers
from nineteen high schools visited the Chempark thanks to jointly organized
excursions. Eleven graduates completed their university studies. As the first industrial plant in the
history, the Chempark hosted the finals of the Chemistry Olympiad’s national
round. An important benefit was the April launch of the Unipetrol Foundation
which offers financial aid of six million crowns to students and schools.
Representatives of high
schools, the Unipetrol Research and Education Center, the University Center UCT
– Unipetrol and Unipetrol concluded the school year 2016-2017 at the half-day
meeting in the chemical plant in Záluží u Litvínova. All present are connected through
the same goal – to popularize chemistry studies, to improve study conditions
and to increase the employability of graduates on the labor market. Intensive
cooperation has brought tangible results in a number of activities for students
and teachers.
In the course of the
school year, almost 500 students from nineteen high schools came to Chempark in
Litvínov-Záluží to familiarize themselves with the research and production
processes of the Czech Republic’s largest chemical plant, linking thereby their
theoretical knowledge with practical experience. These also include students of
Vladimír Šmahaj, a teacher from Gymnázium Jana Keplera in Prague, rewarded as
the Chemist of 2017 in the Golden Amos competition: „Such a visit that a person cannot always experience in everyday life
can be a great motivation for students while choosing their future career,“ said
Vladimír Šmahaj relishing the excursion
possibility.
At the end of
January, Chempark Litvínov also hosted the 53rd edition of the
Chemical Olympiad announced by the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports and organized by the UCT, Prague. The competition was attended by 47
best high school students from all over the country. This year, for the first
time in history, the competition finals took place directly at the industrial
factory site.
The University Center UCT Prague –
Unipetrol, located directly on the chemical plant premises in Litvínov, concluded
the school year too. A total of 36 students studied four fields of study in the
Center this year. Eleven of them completed their studies successfully by
submitting their bachelor’s, diploma or dissertation thesis.
Another significant milestone was establishment
of the Unipetrol Foundation which offers support to high-school and college
students and high schools themselves. “Establishing
the Foundation is yet another contribution to the future of chemical industry,
science and research. We opened up the opportunity to educate as many students
as possible, regardless of their origin or social background, by a tangible and
real amount of six million crowns per year,” said Andrzej Modrzejewski, CEO of the Unipetrol Group.
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UNIPETROL, a.s., controls companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005, Unipetrol became part of the PKN Orlen Group, the Central Europe’s largest crude oil processor. The Unipetrol Group is oriented mostly towards crude oil processing, fuel distribution and petrochemical production. In all of these business areas, the Group is among the key players both in the Czech Republic and on the Central European market. The Group ranks among the leading companies in the Czech Republic in terms of revenues, and employs more than 4,500 people.