Mining Education and Innovation – Page 32

York University to offer mining-focused MBA – by Brenda Bouw (Globe and Mail – November 28, 2011)

November 28, 2011

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

The Schulich School of Business at York University is capitalizing on the looming leader shortage in the mining sector by offering a first-of-its-kind MBA specialization in global mining management starting next fall.

The two-year program, expected to be announced Monday, aims to appeal to future executives, investment bankers, analysts and other professionals eyeing a top-level career in the risk-driven resources sector.

“It’s great succession planning for the industry,” said Richard Ross, an executive in residence at Schulich and former chief executive at Inmet Mining Corp. The Toronto-based MBA program is expected to crank out future mining executives at a time when many of the current, often colourful, company founders are poised for retirement.

Mining industry faces labour crunch, volatility, high costs: Deloitte – by Lauren Krugel (Canadian Business Magazine – November 27, 2011)

November 28, 2011

Founded in 1928, Canadian Business is the longest-publishing business magazine in Canada.

To view the report, please visit http://www.deloitte.com/ca/mining-trends

The Canadian Press – The global mining industry is facing a severe labour squeeze, which means companies must be creative in finding enough talent to run their operations, says a report released Sunday by a major professional services firm.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Ltd. said there simply are not enough workers to power the huge growth expected in the mining sector — capital expenditures this year are estimated to be US$113 billion, 50 per cent higher than 2010 — and firms must look at unconventional ways to fill the gap, like doing more work remotely.

“Given the acute shortage of key talent, delivering on all these projects may be near impossible,” said the report, called Tracking the Trends 2012. Glenn Ives, Deloitte Canada’s Americas mining leader, said demographics are at the heart of the problem.

“There is a 20-year gap in the mining industry. If you think about it, mining was not that great an industry to join in the 80s and the 90s, and so there weren’t a lot of new graduates joining the mining industry in that time frame,” he said in an interview.

[Sudbury’s Laurentian University] LU gets big bucks – Star Staff (Sudbury Star – November 25, 2011)

November 26, 2011November 25, 2011

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Laurentian University’s School of Engineering got a new name and a huge financial boost Thursday. Stan Bharti, chairman and CEO of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc., announced a $10-million gift for the engineering school.

In recognition of the donation, Laurentian University president Dominic Giroux said the university will rename the school in the Bharti family’s honour.

“We have very fond memories of the many years during which we lived and raised our family in Sudbury, and wanted to give back to the community,” Bharti said in a statement. “Our family is very proud of the momentum at Laurentian University.

“We wanted to be part of it and encourage other families with an affinity for Northern Ontario or the mining sector to support The Next 50 Campaign.”

The donation is part of the Sudbury Families initiative, bringing the total raised for Laurentian’s The Next 50 Campaign to $48.6 million.

NEWS RELEASE: BHARTI FAMILY INVESTS $10 MILLION IN LAURENTIAN’S AWARD-WINNING SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

May 7, 2013November 24, 2011

A November 24, 2011 $10 million gift to Laurentian's Engineering School from Stan Bharti, (centre holding cheque) chairman and CEO of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc. confirms Sudbury's status as Canada's pre-eminent centre for mining education, reseach and production. — A November 24, 2011 $10 million gift to Laurentian’s Engineering School from Stan Bharti, (centre holding cheque) chairman and CEO of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc. confirms Sudbury’s status as Canada’s pre-eminent centre for mining education, reseach and production.

Largest gift in Laurentian’s 51 year history

SUDBURY (November 24, 2011) – Stan Bharti, chairman and CEO of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc. and dozens of other companies, announced today a $10 million gift to Laurentian University’s School of Engineering, as part of the “Sudbury Families” initiative, bringing the total raised for The Next 50 Campaign to $48.6 million. In recognition of this significant investment, Laurentian University President Dominic Giroux announced that the university will rename the school in the Bharti family’s honour.

“We have very fond memories of the many years during which we lived and raised our family in Sudbury, and wanted to give back to the community”, explained Stan Bharti. “Our family is very proud of the momentum at Laurentian University. We wanted to be part of it and encourage other
families with an affinity for Northern Ontario or the mining sector to support The Next 50 Campaign.”

The Bharti family’s gift will be invested in an endowment to the exclusive use of the Bharti School of Engineering. “The endowment fund will be used to enhance the student experience by ensuring that we attract top faculty and provide our students with first class opportunities to learn both inside and
outside the classroom.”, said Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, director of the Bharti School of Engineering. “Moreover, the endowment will ensure that we can attract the best and brightest students through scholarships and promote our programs nationally.”

(L to R) Perry Dellelce, Managing Partner of Wildeboer Dellelce LLP; Dominic Giroux, Laurentian University President; Stan Bharti, Chairman and CEO of Forbes & Manhattan, Inc.; Marianne Matichuk, City of Greater Sudbury Mayor; Dr. Ramesh Subramanian, Director of the Bharti School of Engineering; Tracy MacLeod, Director of Development and Campaign Director, Laurentian University; Michael Atkins, Member of Laurentian Board of Governors and President Laurentian Media

Innovation and the Canadian mining sector – by Paul Stothart (CIM Magazine – May, 2011)

November 22, 2011

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) is a technical society of professionals in the Canadian minerals, metals, materials and energy industries.

Paul Stothart is vice-president, economic affairs, at the Mining Association of Canada. He is responsible for advancing the industry’s interests regarding federal tax, trade, investment, transport and energy issues.

In late 2010, the federal government launched a review of its core research and development (R&D) funding and tax programs. In so doing, it established an “expert review panel on R&D” tasked with providing recommendations to the government by October 2011.

Based on the premise that Canada does poorly converting knowledge to innovation, the overall intent of the exercise is to improve Canada’s ability to stimulate innovation, capitalize on knowledge and create economic value. In some circles, the launching of this review has drawn cynicism, given that the federal government has conducted similar exercises in recent years without leading to appreciable improvements.

The Mining Association of Canada prepared a submission to the expert panel in late February 2011 that highlighted the following three key messages:

MIHR NEWS RELEASE: New study reveals mining companies are exploring alternatives, like dual-career paths, to retain knowledge workers

October 20, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OTTAWA (October 14, 2011) – Dual-career development paths are being adopted by mining companies to retain knowledge workers as the global competition for talent becomes more fierce, according to a new study, released by the Mining Industry Human Resources Council, in partnership with the Canada Mining Innovation Council.

The two organizations have joined forces to publish Making the Grade: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities for Knowledge Workers in Canadian Mining. Knowledge workers are a key segment of the mining sector’s workforce and play an essential role in research and innovation. A significant proportion of this group is now nearing retirement age which could lead to a devastating loss of both specialist knowledge and leadership in the sector.

Knowledge workers are typically defined as people who are highly educated, technologically savvy, and engaged in work that leads to the creation of knowledge and innovation. They apply theory and factual knowledge quickly and creatively to solve complex problems with shifting parameters. “Despite their importance, the industry lacks key information about this segment of the workforce throughout all phases of the mining cycle” says Dr Martha Roberts, Director of Research at the Mining Industry Human Resources Council.

Mining magnate’s $100M gift launches ‘Canadian Rhodes’ – by Tristin Hopper (National Post – October 14, 2011)

October 14, 2011

The National Post is Canada’s second largest national paper.

With $100-million — the second-largest endowment to Canadian academia in history — mining magnate Seymour Schulich is inaugurating what he hopes will be the Canadian equivalent to the Rhodes Scholarship.

“It’s about trying to create leaders,” said Mr. Schulich, 71. “If you call people leaders and give them 60 grand, some of them are going to turn into leaders.”

Dubbed the Schulich Leader Scholarships, when fully implemented by 2014 the award will grant $60,000 over four years to students enrolling in science, technology, engineering or mathematics programs.

A noted philanthropist, Mr. Schulich’s name already adorns schools of business, music, medicine and engineering. This time around, he felt it was time to put money into the sciences.

“Business gets enough support, medicine gets enough support, but I haven’t really done a straight science benefaction,” he said.

Gold industry awaits technology breakthrough – by Dewald van Rensburg (Miningmx.com – October 10, 2011)

October 10, 2011

http://www.miningmx.com/

[miningmx.com] — THERE is great excitement about a promising new technology which could make deep underground mining possible and ensure the future of South Africa’s gold industry.

Deep underground mines are engineering miracles, but the limitations of the available technology have long been evident to South Africa’s gold industry.

The world’s deepest mine is AngloGold Ashanti’s Mponeng, which extends about 4km underground. To be able to mine much deeper than this, where millions of currently inaccessible – or uneconomic – fine ounces of gold lie, would require a breakthrough.

Significantly, AngloGold was recently the first group to herald such a breakthrough with an apparently large degree of certainty. Within three to five years the group wants to develop machines to replace mineworkers at the stope face.

This target not only involves machines that can do the work of humans at the “coalface”, but also means the end of mining methods in standard use for more than a century.

[Sudbury-based research organization] CEMI takes a new approach to mining innovation – by Lindsay Kelly (Northern Ontario Business – September, 2011)

October 4, 2011

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North.

Holistic mining

It sounds more like a reference to a new-age healing trend, but a novel approach to mining that will focus on holistic practices is poised to put Sudbury’s Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) on course to change the face of the industry.

In July, CEMI received $823,000 from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC) to instate a Research Chair for Holistic Mining Practices, vice-president Douglas Morrison, whose scope of work will include the expansion of research opportunities and attraction of innovation in mining.

It’s holistic because the research and innovation opportunities will encompass a greater spectrum of considerations than the technical aspect of mining, explained CEMI president and CEO Peter Kaiser.

“You can’t think anymore just technical, little gadgets. You can’t just think of cost reduction. You need to think safety, environmental, permits, Native issues,” Kaiser said. “If you want to succeed, it’s no more just a technical problem and ‘How do I bring a ton of ore out of the ground.’ You need a more holistic approach.”

PDAC NEWS RELEASE: Human Resources Issues Threaten Canada’s Mineral Exploration Supremacy

September 30, 2011

For Immediate Release

Sept. 30, 2011

To read the complete report click here: Unearthing Possibilities

Canada’s position as the global leader in mineral exploration is at risk because of a human resources triple threat, according to a study released today by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) and the Mining Industry Human Resources (MiHR) Council.

Unearthing Possibilities: Human Resources Challenges and Opportunities in the Canadian Mineral Exploration Sector says Canada’s mineral exploration industry faces challenges on three critical fronts: a lack of awareness about the exploration sector and its many related career opportunities; a thinning labour pool that is affecting companies’ recruitment efforts; and attrition that sees many versatile, multi-skilled professionals leave the sector in mid-career.

“The worldwide demand for skilled labour in this sector is constantly increasing and driving up the cost of human resources,” says Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans, PDAC president. “We have to work harder to attract more Canadians to this industry.”

In an increasingly globalized economy that prizes highly educated, multi-skilled workers, Canada will continue to lose mineral exploration professionals and its decades-long number one ranking in mineral exploration may quickly change.

Executive Terry MacGibbon of OMA member Quadra FNX to lead major university fundraising drive

May 7, 2013September 15, 2011

This article was provided by the Ontario Mining Association (OMA), an organization that was established in 1920 to represent the mining industry of the province.

Terry MacGibbon, Chairman of Ontario Mining Association member Quadra FNX, has taken on the volunteer role as chairman of Laurentian University’s Next 50 campaign. This fundraising effort, to date, has reached $39 million of its goal of $50 million.

“I am honoured to accept this important position and to be a part of the development of a university that I believe is on the cusp of greatness,” said Mr. MacGibbon. “Laurentian’s bold plans for the future speak to its desire to set the pace for educational excellence in Canada and projects like the newly announced Laurentian School of Mines and the Laurentian School of Architecture will surely attract some of the country’s brightest, most ambitious young minds.”

Also a donation of $1 million made by Quadra FNX to Laurentian University is being designated to the Laurentian School of Mines. “Quadra FNX is excited to invest in an institution that is set in one of the world’s great mining camps and that will play a vital role in developing the qualified professionals needed to sustain and grow our industry,” said Paul Blythe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quadra FNX. “Laurentian’s School of Mines will undoubtedly become one of Canada’s premier centres for mining education.”

Canadian cities need a lesson in academic potential – by Nick Rockel (Globe and Mail – September 14, 2011)

September 15, 2011

The Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

If you’re a student or a professor at the University of Waterloo, any intellectual property that you create there belongs to you. This unusual policy has helped make Ontario’s Waterloo Region a leading patent generator. It has also sparked local successes such as smart-phone giant Research In Motion Ltd. and software developer OpenText Inc., both university spinoffs.

“They basically have evolved from student days into incredible multinationals,” says John Jung, chief executive officer of Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc., the public-private economic development agency for the Waterloo Region.

Encompassing the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo, the region has long understood the value of close ties between business and academia. Its almost 60,000 full-time students – Waterloo’s two other key schools are Wilfrid Laurier University and polytechnic Conestoga College – are a vital source of talent for local companies.

Through the University of Waterloo’s decades-old co-op system, Canadian and international students apply their knowledge in the real world. The region’s three major postsecondary institutions have representatives on the Technology Triangle board, alongside business leaders.

NEWS RELEASE: LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY JOINS FORCES WITH CANADIAN MINING EXECUTIVE – Terry MacGibbon announced as the new Chair of the Next 50 Campaign

September 14, 2011September 14, 2011

Terry MacGibbon, Chairman of Quadra FNX Mining Ltd. and Chair of Laurentian University’s Next 50 Campaign; Nawojka Wachowiak, Vice President, Investor Relations Quadra FNX Mining Ltd; Paul M. Blythe, President and CEO Quadra FNX Mining Ltd.; Tracy MacLeod, Laurentian University Campaign Director Development Office; Dominic Giroux, Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor

Toronto, ON (September 14th, 2011) On Tuesday evening, at Toronto’s National Club, an audience comprised of some of the biggest names in the mining industry listened as Laurentian University President and Vice-Chancellor Dominic Giroux and Paul Blythe, president and CEO of Quadra FNX Mining Ltd., introduced Terry MacGibbon, Chairman of Quadra FNX Mining Company as the new Chair of the university’s Next 50 Campaign. To date, the campaign has raised $39 million of its $50 million goal.

“I am honoured to accept this important position and to be a part of the development of a university that I believe is on the cusp of greatness,” said MacGibbon. “Laurentian’s bold plans for the future speak to its desire to set the pace for educational excellence in Canada, and projects like the newly-announced Laurentian School of Mines and the Laurentian School of Architecture will surely attract some of the country’s brightest, most ambitious young minds. I fully support Laurentian in its mission to provide these individuals with the highest quality educational experience available and am committed to helping the Next 50 Campaign reach its goal.”