Education
Program Highlights of 2007-2008
- Experts From Different Industries Discuss the Latest in Leaching at Conference and Define Future Technical Challenges
The 2008 Parker Centre Hydrometallurgy Conference on New Directions in Leaching - Science & Technology was attended by 49 invitees, predominantly from Australia but also Brazil, Canada, Mexico and South Africa. The conference, the fifth in the series of unique biennial conferences which started in 1999, was held in Perth. The session topics – knowing your feed materials, in situ leaching, mineral surface processes, bioleaching, approaches to nickel & copper leaching and future & novel approaches – crossed commodity boundaries, ensuring sharing of experiences and discussion across a range of industries utilising hydrometallurgy.
- PhD and Honours Graduate Numbers on Target
The Parker Centre is well on track to meet its commitment in the Commonwealth Agreement of graduating 20 PhD students and 30 Honours students in the lifetime of Parker Centre III with 11 PhD students and 17 Honours students having graduated by 30 June 2008. During the past year, three of the Centre's PhD students graduated and another two PhD students submitted their theses. The Centre also produced 11 Honours graduates.
- More Industry Companies Put Their Money Behind Program Attracting Undergraduates to Hydrometallurgy Research
The importance to industry of identifying and nurturing undergraduate science students and introducing them to the minerals processing arena is demonstrated through an increasing commitment by industry to the Parker Centre's Education Program. To date, industry has invested over A$566,000 in the Student-Industry Research Program for undergraduate university students. Anglo Platinum, Vale and Barrick Gold have joined with Alcan International, BHP Billiton, Minara Resources, Rio Tinto and Nyrstar (formerly Zinifex) in supporting this program.
- Student-Industry Research Program Now Run Twice a Year
With the addition of a Winter Student-Industry Research (S-IR) Program as well as a Summer S-IR Program in 2007, the international reach of the Centre's S-IR Program now extends across both hemispheres and into four continents. With support from BHP Billiton, one of the Centre's Industry Participants, the running of a Winter S-IR Program in both 2007 and 2008 has enabled Northern Hemisphere students to participate during their university summer break. This more than doubles BHP Billiton's previous annual commitment to the Centre's Education Program.
In 2007, the Parker Centre hosted four students from the Moscow State University in Russia at the Waterford laboratories of Research Participant CSIRO Minerals between June-August 2007. Another three Moscow State University students are working with Parker Centre researchers at Curtin University of Technology in the 2008 Winter S-IR Program. The 2007-2008 Summer S-IR Program (sponsored by Alcan, Anglo Platinum, Barrick Gold, BHP Billiton, Minara Resources, Nyrstar, Rio Tinto and Vale) provided an additional 11 undergraduate students from Australia, Brazil and South Africa with a hydrometallurgy research experience.
Education Program Highlights of 2006-2007
Education Program Highlights of 2005-2006
Education Program Highlights of 2004-2005
Education Program Highlights of 2003-2004
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