From resource to process efficiency. Educating a new generation of georesources engineers

Even though the Circular Economy paradigm clearly puts the emphasis on recycling, it is essential to understand that we will still need for decades to explore and find resources in the earth crust. Mining is vital to feed the loop and make sure enough metals and minerals are made available to society. But, mining is also one of the most challenging industrial operations when it comes to sustainability objectives. A modern education in mineral resources engineering must build on a strong technical background but give students the opportunity to confront their knowledge with societal needs and responsibilities. The EMerald Erasmus Mundus Master program in Georesources Engineering was set up by four leading European universities with the clear objective to educate responsible professionals who will be actors of sustainable solutions. Therefore, the University of Lorraine, the Lulea Technical University, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and the University of Liege (coordinator) designed a unique curriculum bridging the traditional gap between natural sciences and engineering, encompassing the valley too often separating the industrial operators from the stakeholders of a mining project.
The program offers a unique blend of courses from geology to mineral processing with the aim to familiarize students with the most advanced tools for improving the efficiency of processes. Field trips and industrial visits are a key component of this program as are the non-technical seminars delivered by professionals (lawyers, entrepreneurs, NGO leaders, etc.). Evaluation is often based on written reports, documentary research and short oral presentations to make sure students acquire the indispensable soft skills for efficient communication on environmental and societal issues linked to the impact of extractive activities. Internships and hands-on practices on pilot platforms or laboratory equipments are absolutely essential to reach the highest standards and meet the objectives of the master program. This is costly and can only be maintained thanks to the strong presence of the participating universities in research programs. All four universities are core partners of the EIT Raw Materials knowledge innovation community. This gives an additional leveraging effect when it comes to the education of young entrepreneurs with a strong sustainability mindset.