Canadian University Projects in International Development Database (CUPID)

Asia

Mongolia

• Education for Environmental Transition: Mining in Mongolia

Education for Environmental Transition: Mining in Mongolia

Project purpose:
The project aims to enhance the capacity of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST) to provide education for students who will work for mining companies or for the government, training for workers in mining companies and the government, training for mine operators, and essential research and policy development skills for those involved in the mining industry.

Key results to date:
A Master's of Science in Geology has been established at MUST. Four new undergraduate geology courses have been designed and introduced, and 16 more have been revised at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Lab manuals for ten courses were also developed or revised. To date, there have been 480 faculty and students involved in project activities. The laboratory has been upgraded with 13 research microscopes and a rock-cutting saw. The project has reprioritized the national research agenda to consider the environmental impacts of mining activity, not just its economic viability. Project research has led to sustainable remediation strategies in regard to mercury contamination and better practices in the field by smaller mining companies. An additional C$500,000 was obtained from the Czech Republic to broaden the scope of research and to purchase remediation equipment. The Museum of Geology and Mineral Resources has been renovated, attracting a number of key government officials and over 3,000 secondary school students. A series of talks on environmental protection were delivered to 20 villages. Over 500 secondary students in thirteen high schools have benefited so far from new environmental protection and mining learning materials.