Kinross funds Queens professorship

Kinross Gold (K-T) has partnered with the Department of Mining Engineering at Queens 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 societys 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.

Adds Burt: 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 workers 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 Queens.

Were confident the teaching and research program of the Kinross professorship will attract more top engineering students to the global opportunities of mining, says Burt.

Professor Anthony Hodge was appointed to the Kinross professorship and is considered an authority on sustainable development.

Hodge is a professional engineer who’s served as a consultant to industry and government.

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, says Laeeque Daneshmend, acting head of the Queens Department of Mining Engineering.

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.