Memorial University receives $6.15 million in support of proposed mining engineering degree

Memorial University is moving closer to establishing a new co-operative bachelor of engineering degree in mining and mineral processing, with $6.15 million in combined funding commitments from the provincial government and industry partner Vale.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is investing $2.25 million, while Vale is contributing $3.9 million toward the development and implementation of the proposed program.

The degree is in the final stages of development within Memorial's Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, in collaboration with the Department of Earth Sciences.

The program is designed to train engineers with specialized skills to support mining, mineral exploration and production, with an emphasis on sustainable practices in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Memorial says the initiative will help address the demand for qualified professionals in the mining sector while building a stronger workforce for the province's resource industry.

"Memorial is proud to develop programming that is responsive to the needs of students, industry and the province of Newfoundland and Labrador," said Dr. Bing Chen, interim dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

The proposed degree builds on Memorial's existing expertise in areas including drilling engineering, mining systems, mineral processing, extractive metallurgy, green extraction technologies, automation, data analytics, sustainability and process safety.

A key objective is to attract and train students from Indigenous and rural communities, particularly as many of the province's mining operations are located in Labrador and other remote regions.

The program is expected to use much of Memorial's existing academic infrastructure, with 36 of the 47 required courses already being offered by the university.

The proposed degree has received approval from the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science Faculty Council and is now progressing through Memorial's academic governance process.

It is expected to be considered by the university's Senate and Board of Regents in the coming months.

The program remains subject to final university approvals before it can be launched.