Mining Education and Innovation – Page 35

Ontario Report: The Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario’s University Sector – Executive Summary and Preamble

December 22, 2010

About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

The Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario is an arm’s-length agency of the Government of Ontario dedicated to ensuring the continued improvement of the postsecondary education system in Ontario. The Council was created through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act, 2005. It is mandated to conduct research, evaluate the postsecondary education system, and provide policy recommendations to the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities with a view to enhance the quality, access, and accountability of Ontario’s higher education system.

The report is available here: The Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario’s University Sector

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Ontario university sector is already somewhat differentiated. A policy decision to increase the differentiation of the postsecondary system brings the following benefits:

• Higher quality teaching and research programs
• More student choice with easier inter‐institution transfer and mobility
• Greater institutional accountability
• A more globally competitive system
• A more financially sustainable system

Ontario’s postsecondary system can transition seamlessly and incrementally to greater differentiation with the judicious and strategic use of funding strategies already familiar to government. This transition to a more differentiated university sector is guided by principles including:

• Equal value on the teaching and research functions of universities
• Forging a contemporary relationship between Ontario’s colleges and universities
• Linking the differentiation policy to funding decisions
• More effective use of multi‐year accountability agreements and performance indicators to evaluate whether universities are meeting expected goals and targets

A roadmap is provided indicating how the government can advance the current university system to a more differentiated one. The cornerstone of this transition is a comprehensive agreement between each university and MTCU identifying the expectations and accountabilities of each institution including its expected enrolment and student mix, its priority teaching and research programs and areas for future growth and development.

Time for Ontario Universities to Specialize in Programs They Do Best: [Ontario Provincial] Report – by Ciara Byrne (October 26, 2010)

December 22, 2010

About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

The report is available here: TheThe Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario’s University Sector

Ciara Byrne, The Canadian Press: Tuesday, October 26, 2010

TORONTO – Ontario universities should play to their strengths instead of trying to be everything to everyone, the head of an advisory body on higher learning said Tuesday, as he called for schools to focus on the programs they do best.

A report commissioned by Ontario’s deputy post-secondary education minister by the Higher Education Quality Council is calling on universities to pick a specialty and stick with it, meaning Specialty U could be the future in Ontario.

“You will have the institutions doing what they do best, not trying to do what everybody else is doing,” council president Harvey Weingarten said Tuesday.

Tough economic times and a crush of students pouring into universities has schools spreading themselves too thin, Weingarten said. They need to shift their focus if they hope to be competitive.

Weingarten said the government should coax universities to run specialized programs by offering additional funding for those who do it well.

He has recommended the Ontario government start the transformation by asking schools in Toronto to distinguish themselves from one another.

In July, Deborah Newman the deputy minister of Training, Colleges and Universities asked the council to explore whether a differentiated set of universities would improve the overall performance of the system.

Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario News Release: University Report: Strengthen System Quality, Sustainability and Accountability – October 26, 2010

December 16, 2010

About the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario

The report is available here: TheThe Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario’s University Sector

Tuesday, October 26, 2010 – While several of Ontario’s 20 universities are internationally ranked, pressures on the postsecondary system are palpable. Increased enrollment is jeopardizing the range and quality of programs while a changing labour market demands postsecondary credentials. How can Ontario’s universities improve access, quality and international competitiveness while ensuring a system that is both sustainable and accountable?

A new report from the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO) says universities should set measureable goals based on their strengths, and the provincial government should base new funding on whether those goals are met. The results, according to The Benefits of Greater Differentiation of Ontario’s University Sector, would produce a postsecondary system that is more cohesive, more fluid, more sustainable and higher quality.

HEQCO president and CEO Harvey Weingarten, with report co-author and HEQCO research director Fiona Deller, embraced the provincial government’s challenge to explore whether a more strongly differentiated set of universities would help improve the overall performance and sustainability of the system, and help Ontario compete internationally. With input from student groups and university and college leaders, the report builds on HEQCO’s research and best thinking on the postsecondary sector.

Mining Scholarships Support the Industry’s Future Workforce

December 12, 2010December 2, 2010

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.

The mining sector provides hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to university and college students studying in related programs to support tomorrow’s industry. There are numerous sources of these scholarships but for students willing to do their homework, there is a range of financial assistance available.

For young people looking for future careers in mining engineering, geology and mine technology areas, a good place to start looking is the Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Foundation (CMMF), which was founded in 1972. It has information on scholarships and bursaries offered by the national Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, CIM Branches and CMMF worth more than $220,000 annually.

“The mining industry wants you – do you want a scholarship. The CMMF promotes mining as an enviable career choice and offers scholarships to encourage students to apply for studies in fields related to mining,” said Deborah Smith-Sauve, Manager of CMMF. “To maintain its leadership in the mining world, Canada requires he best educated workforce possible to develop new technologies and apply them in the most effective manner.”

Rio Tinto News Release: Rio Tinto Announces New Global Centre for Underground Mine Construction in [Sudbury] Canada

November 28, 2010

26 November 2010

Rio Tinto has announced a key strategic partnership in Canada, teaming with world leading researchers to create the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction.

The new Centre will be based at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) in Sudbury, Ontario, and will focus on innovative rapid mine construction and ground control for mining at depth.

Rio Tinto is investing C$10 million over five years in the centre, completing a suite of five global long term Rio Tinto research centres around the world.

The work with CEMI will assist Rio Tinto’s development of new excavation systems through The Mine of the Future™ programme, focusing on significantly improving the construction and operation of underground mines.

As part of this programme, Rio Tinto will conduct a full scale performance verification trial in 2012 at Northparkes’ copper and gold mine in New South Wales, Australia, as the first of three new underground excavation systems.

News Release: Rio Tinto Creates A New $10 Million Mining Research Centre at CEMI in Sudbury, Canada

November 25, 2010

Sudbury, ON – On November 25th, 2010, Rio Tinto announced the establishment of the Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction (RTC-UMC) at the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. Rio Tinto will be investing $10 million dollars over five years to undertake research at the centre.

Rio Tinto is focusing on mechanized excavation including a shaft boring system (SBS) and tunnel boring systems (TBS). Rio Tinto has selected CEMI as the agent for collaborative research leadership in support of high speed construction associated with underground mine construction. For Rio Tinto, this investment reflects the company’s long term commitment to science, engineering and innovation, and is central to its approach to research partnerships. This is the fifth global long-term research centre to be established by Rio Tinto.

The Rio Tinto Centre for Underground Mine Construction at CEMI will undertake research with respect to ground and machine performance. For this purpose, prototype test sites will be instrumented to improve ground characterization techniques and to develop innovative support systems to facilitate high speed, mechanized tunnel and shaft development technologies for underground mines in highly stressed ground and at depth.

Doug Morrison Joins CEMI Team to Help Expand Organization’s Mandate for Mining Innovation

September 13, 2010

The Sudbury-based Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) conducts research and development for the mining sector. CEMI strives to establish excellence in strategic areas of research such as deep mining, mineral exploration, integrated mine engineering, environmental and sustainability as highlighted in the 2009 Annual Report (www.miningexcellence.ca). CEMI is becoming an international centre for world-class, industry-focused research and innovation, advancing state-of-the-art concepts, processes and methodologies in support of the regional, national and international exploration and mining industries, and providers of mining services and supplies.

Sudbury, ON – On September 8, 2010, the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI), held its third Annual General Meeting (AGM) which highlighted the significant progress made by the organization in advancing mineral exploration and mining-related research during the past year. CEMI proudly announced that mining veteran, Doug Morrison will be joining the CEMI team as the Deputy Director. Mr. Morrison will begin his duties on November 1st, 2010.

As Deputy Director, one of Mr. Morrison’s objectives will be to build stronger relationships and effective collaboration among Ontario’s mining Research & Development (R&D) agencies, and from there, with national and international organizations. Over the years, he has worked with Canadian industry, academic and government research institutions, including CAMIRO, MIRARCO, and CEMI, to deliver innovation to the mining industry, and it is anticipated this will enable CEMI to expand the range of technical issues supported through R&D.

Mr. Morrison has 15 years experience in underground mine operations, and 15 years working as a consultant, including four years as global mining leader for Golder Associates, bringing international experience and a broad understanding of all of the issues confronting the industry globally.

OMA to Help Educate Teachers About Mining at Mattawa Seminar

August 5, 2010

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.

The Ontario Mining Association is participating in a Teacher’s Mining Tour at the Canadian Ecology Centre near Mattawa. Thirty teachers will participate in the sold-out course, which is being run from August 9 to 13. The goal is to help educators learn more about the realities of modern, high tech, environmentally responsible mining in Ontario.

The Teacher’s Mining Tour is a professional development program for Ontario teachers and teachers in training. Teachers taking the course will be able to earn a component of their Environmental Science Additional Qualification through Nipissing University and the Ontario College of Teachers.

Lesley Hymers, OMA Environment and Education Specialist, will be representing the Association at the event. The themes for the conference include modern mining, environmental stewardship and sustainability, occupational health and safety and career opportunities within the industry.

Sudbury DeLong Brothers – OMA Video Contest Winners – Listened To Their Mother

August 5, 2010August 4, 2010

View DeLong Brothers’ video

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. To view all the winners of the So You Think You Know Mining competition, please go to OMA 2010 Video Winners.

A parent’s journalistic interview for a magazine article about the inaugural Ontario Mining Association’s So You Think You Know Mining (SYTYKM) high school video competition in 2009 provided a spark for a Sudbury student who won the Best Overall Video prize in 2010. Adelle Larmour, a reporter with Sudbury Mining Solutions Journal, produced an article on the genesis of the SYTYKM contest in the June 2009 edition of SMSJ.

“Inspired by famous Canadian scholar Marshall McLuhan’s observation that the medium is the message, the OMA launched a video contest late last year to educate an unlikely audience about the mining industry,” said Ms. DeLong in the article, “Video contest introduces students to mining.” “The SYTYKM video contest was a way to reach high school students who are interested in video making, music, or script writing, but who may know very little about where the components of their computer come from or about the different mined resources that make up the materials for many of the fundamental tools used in daily living.”

She shared her enthusiasm for her article with her youngest son, David DeLong, a grade nine student at St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School. David clearly took his Mother’s suggestion to enter SYTYKM and her encouragement to heart. He recruited the assistance of his elder brother Alan DeLong, a grade 12 student at St. Benedict, and work on the production Lego Mining began.

So You Think You Know Mining 2010 Winners Showcase Ontario High School Students’ Amazing Talent — Again

April 5, 2015August 3, 2010

View Katrina Malinski’s video

The winning videos in the Ontario Mining Association’s high school video competition So You Think You Know Mining (SYTYM) provide clear evidence that an abundance of creativity and artistic talent is possessed by teenagers. Go to the OMA website www.oma.on.ca and click on the SYTYKM panel, watch the 2010 award winning videos, which are now available for viewing and we are sure you will agree.

Along with all the winning entries, you can experience the flavour of the SYTYKM awards gala in a production by Amanda Ceniti, a runner up in the competition, from Georgetown District High School. The SYTYKM trophies were presented at an OMA conference held in North Bay. Ms. Ceniti’s production captures the bright lights, the inspiration of the winners, the upbeat music and buzz of the ceremony.

Congratulations to the SYTYKM 2010 winners. While individual names are attached to each award, most were team efforts involving one or more classmates and in some cases relatives. The Best Overall Video was captured by David DeLong from St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School in Sudbury, for his production Lego Mining.

FNX Mining Donates One Million Dollars to Laurentian’s Mining Programs – by Stan Sudol

March 11, 2011May 18, 2010

This article is also available on the websites of Northern Life and Northern Ontario Business.

Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant, who writes extensively about mining issues.(stan.sudol@republicofmining.com)

Last Monday I attended a Laurentian University Next 50 Campaign event where two significant donations were made. Both FNX Mining Limited and Power Corporation of Canada each donated $1 million dollars to the university.

Power Corporation’s gift is earmarked towards graduate fellowships while FNX’s million dollars will be focused on mining programs.

In a press release, Terry MacGibbon, Chairman and CEO of FNX Mining Limited stated, “Laurentian is the go-to resource for research and employees for companies like FNX. This gift ensures Laurentian will be able to continue its tradition of training geologists and engineers with the knowledge and skills to hit the ground running when they enter the workforce.”

(L to R) Vern Baker, FNX Vice-President, Sudbury Operations; Edward Nelles, LU Graduate Student; Harold Gibson, LU Director of Mineral Exploration Research Centre - Earth Sciences Department (Photo by Marg Seregelyi) MacGibbon could not attend the event, however, Vern Baker, FNX Vice-President of Sudbury Operations was on hand to present the million dollar cheque. Baker said, “One of our strengths is our geology team, many members of which are proud Laurentian University graduates.

MiHR Sudbury Case Study Focus: Education/Training and Relationship with Mining Industry

July 7, 2009

The Mining Industry Human Resource Council (MiHR) was formed to address the human resources challenges in the Canadian mining industry.

This case study on post-secondary mining education in the Sudbury region came from a 2005 report called “Prospecting the Future: Meeting Human Resources Challenges in the Canadian Minerals and Metals Industry”.

Please note that some of the enrolment figures will be much higher today and some charts have been omitted due to format issues.

MiHR Sudbury Case Study Focus: Education/Training and Relationship with Mining Industry

Overview

This case study examines the mining industry in Sudbury and its well-developed infrastructure for mining-related education, training and research.

Sudbury is one of Canada’s few long-lived mining sites, with mining operations dating back more than 100 years. The mining industry got its start in the area in 1883, when ore with high levels of copper sulphites were discovered. The formation is one of the most productive mining sites in the world and is generally thought to be the result of a meteorite impact.(58) The major commodities mined in the area are nickel, copper, gold, silver, platinum group metals and cobalt.

Sudbury is Canada’s leading mining community and is considered one the world’s four great mining “city-states.” (59) It is the only city in the world with 15 producing mines within city limits.

With known reserves, the industry is predicted to continue for another 100 years,(60) although the rate of production, and hence level of employment, will eventually decline as ore-bodies are exhausted.

The “Sudbury Mining Supply and Services Cluster” is the largest integrated mining cluster in the world.

What Sparkles in Sudbury is the Cluster of Mining Related Expertise and Innovation – Stan Sudol

May 16, 2010July 6, 2009

This article was originally published in the Sudbury Star on November 21, 2003 (This is an expanded version of the original article.)

Sudbury’s Mining Cluster Is By Far Its Biggest Asset

Sudbury is one of the most fortunate cities of the 21st century. In this new age of digitized, globalized commerce, this is one of the few communities in the world that has an internationally recognized cluster of mining expertise and knowledge. That was the reason why the South African trade mission recently visited the city.

There probably isn’t a mining engineer or geologist in North America or the world that has not made a pilgrimage to this “Mecca of mining” at least once in their lives.

For over 100 years, Sudburians have been honing their skills on the richest mining camp in the history of mankind. The total value of historic mineral production and present reserves from the Sudbury Basin exceeds U.S. $320 billion.

However, it is the 275 local mining supply and services companies, not Inco or Falconbridge that constitute the economic cluster that has been highlighted in the local media over the past two years. The knowledge of how to mine, not the mines themselves is the basis of a prosperous future for Sudbury.

Sudbury Must Become Mining Technology Leader – Stan Sudol

May 15, 2010July 6, 2009

This article was originally published in the Sudbury Star on August 8 , 2003

Sudbury is the greatest mining centre in the world:it’s time we were treated like it

The Sudbury Nickel Basin is the greatest mining camp the world has ever seen. It has been in continuous operation for over 100 years and after the Alberta Tar Sands, is the second most important natural resource in this country. The total value of historic mineral production and present reserves from the Basin exceeds $320 billion U.S.

Nickel, a greyish-white metal, is an essential component of stainless steel, the industrialized world’s wonder alloy. Stainless steel’s resistance to oxidation, corrosion and insolubility in water, is used for hospital equipment, electronics, aerospace super-alloys, military weapons, batteries, and even the coins in your pocket and the kitchen sink. The modern digitized, globalized economy of the 21st century would quite literally grind to a halt without nickel.

Notwithstanding the current labour disruptions at Inco Limited, Sudbury is not dying and the 14 active nickel mines that account for approximately 12 per cent of the world’s supply of nickel are not running out of ore. In fact, in the past few years, five significant new deposits have been discovered. In the geological world, these discoveries are absolutely astonishing for a mining camp as old and well explored as Sudbury.

Many geologists believe the prolific Sudbury Igneous Complex will still be producing nickel, copper, cobalt, gold, silver and platinum group metals one hundred years from now and will still be contributing generous tax revenues for both provincial and federal treasuries all the while.

Industry Minister Sets Record Straight About Laurentian/U of T Funding Controversy – by Marilyn Scales

May 4, 2015June 18, 2009

Marilyn Scales is a field editor for the Canadian Mining Journal, Canada’s first mining publication. She is one of Canada’s most senior mining commentators.

The following note was posted on the Canadian Mining Journal’s digital edition. It is federal Industry Minister Tony Clement’s reponse/spin to the heated controversy of funding mining research at the University of Toronto’s Lassande Institute (which also includes significant civil engineering programs) instead of focusing scarce resources at the previously established Centre of Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) at Laurentian.

Laurentian is located in the heart of Sudbury, Ontario, the richest mining district in North America and among the top ten most strategic mineral deposits in the world. There are no mines in downtown Toronto and most industry experts confirm that U of T’s mining programs are undersubscribed. In addition, having two major mining research centres in this province further dilutes the limited amount of mining research in Ontario. Tony Clement continues to refuse to give any funding to CEMI’s industry respected research programs while the provincial government and the mining sector has contributed approximately $20 million to the Laurentian institute.

During my research into a previous column – about turning Laurentian in the Harvard of the Mining Sector – many individuals who wanted to remain off the record, agreed that the most economic solution for postsecondary mining education and research in Ontario is to consolidate all programs at Sudbury’s Laurentian University. – Stan Sudol

Canadian Mining Journal

On June 7, I wrote about the new Lassonde mining innovation centre to be established at the University of Toronto, and how that announcement has residents of Sudbury, where the Centre for Excellence in Mining Innovation (CEMI) is located, angry at the snub. On behalf of the Hon. Tony Clement, Canada’s minister of industry, CMJ received the following letter.

“I feel it necessary to set the record straight. I think that everyone needs to be privy to some of the facts surrounding the spin to bring a bit more balance to the CEMI/Knowledge Infrastructure Program [KIP] story. Here are the facts.

“The government of Canada through KIP can only fund new projects that: a) submit a funding proposal; b) have a proposal that qualifies for funding within the program criteria (ex: the funds are used for building and renovation, not operations, and that the project will be completed by March 31, 2011); and c) have matching funds from either the province or the university or college. The KIP program can only match funds for renovation projects up to 50%.