Kinross helps fund Queen’s professorship

Kinross Gold has partnered with the Department of Mining Engineering at Queen’s University to establish the Kinross professorship in mining and sustainability.

Kinross believes the move will give graduating mining engineers a better understanding of sustainability issues and society’s expectations of mining companies.

“The mining industry needs more engineering graduates with the skills to meet the challenge of responsible mining,” says Tye Burt, president and CEO of Kinross. “That includes the ability to understand the expectations and aspirations of communities where we work, and to find win-win approaches that support business objectives while also making a positive net contribution to the long-term economic and social well-being of the community.”

The new program should also help address a serious shortfall in graduate mining engineers caused by the unprecedented demand for skilled people in mining.

Kinross will spend $100,000 per year over the next five years to establish the professorship, which will receive additional funding from the Faculty of Applied Science at Kingston, Ont.-based Queen’s.

“We’re confident the teaching and research program of the Kinross professorship will attract more top engineering students to the global opportunities of mining,” adds Burt.

Anthony Hodge has been appointed to the Kinross professorship and is considered an authority on sustainable development. Hodge is a professional engineer who has been a consultant to industry and government.

“He brings to us the unparalleled breadth and depth of experience at just the right time,” says Laeeque Daneshmend, acting head of Queen’s Department of Mining Engineering. “In particular, he has a strong knowledge of the nature and needs of the mining industry while being sensitive to the values of broader society.”

Kinross is the third-largest gold producer by reserves in North America, with mines and development projects in the U.S., Brazil, Chile, Russia and Canada.