In response to the growing need for sustainable development training due to concerns about environmental and social issues in mineral supply chains and post-carbon transition of communities, the University of Delaware is launching a Minerals, Materials and Society (MMS) graduate certificate with classes starting in January 2020.
Under the leadership of Saleem H. Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at UD, the MMS program is among the first of its kind in the United States that takes an interdisciplinary approach to linking science and policy issues associated with mineral and material sourcing.
The program will consider not only mined mineral resources but also synthetic materials that are increasingly being compared to mined minerals as substitutes due to environmental and social concerns.
The 15-credit program, which can be completed in 18-24 months, is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to obtain jobs in the growing field of sustainable supply chain management and environmental and social responsibility, and to become world leaders and game changers in this arena. While the majority of the classes are offered online, students will also participate in on-campus, one-to-two-week intensive classes during the summer and winter sessions. In addition, research partnerships and experiential learning opportunities with several international universities, including the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Materials Institute in Australia and the National University of Science and Technology in Russia, are offered. Formal memorandums of understanding between UD and these institutions have been developed, and field courses will be offered in both countries as part of the program.
“Moscow’s leading science university was chosen as a strategic partner location since Russia is among the world’s largest mineral producers and also in the spirit of science diplomacy, which should be an important goal of educational institutions in these troubled times in world affairs,” said Ali.
Student exchange will also be conducted with the Chinese University of Geosciences in Wuhan.
Candidates for the Minerals, Materials and Society program include, but are not limited to, mid-career energy and extractives industry and sustainability professionals, government officials and other civil servants, economists and scientists, graduating college students studying related disciplines, and nonprofit, museum and jewelry industry professionals.
Ali is a member of the United Nations International Resources Panel and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility, the world’s largest multilateral trust fund for the environment, held in trusteeship by the World Bank.
Patricia Syvrud, immediate past executive director of the World Diamond Council, was recruited by UD to work with Ali to develop the program, which will also have an external leadership council comprising leaders from industry, civil society and government agencies.
Under the leadership of Saleem H. Ali, Blue and Gold Distinguished Professor of Energy and the Environment at UD, the MMS program is among the first of its kind in the United States that takes an interdisciplinary approach to linking science and policy issues associated with mineral and material sourcing.
The program will consider not only mined mineral resources but also synthetic materials that are increasingly being compared to mined minerals as substitutes due to environmental and social concerns.
The 15-credit program, which can be completed in 18-24 months, is designed to equip students with the skills necessary to obtain jobs in the growing field of sustainable supply chain management and environmental and social responsibility, and to become world leaders and game changers in this arena. While the majority of the classes are offered online, students will also participate in on-campus, one-to-two-week intensive classes during the summer and winter sessions. In addition, research partnerships and experiential learning opportunities with several international universities, including the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Materials Institute in Australia and the National University of Science and Technology in Russia, are offered. Formal memorandums of understanding between UD and these institutions have been developed, and field courses will be offered in both countries as part of the program.
“Moscow’s leading science university was chosen as a strategic partner location since Russia is among the world’s largest mineral producers and also in the spirit of science diplomacy, which should be an important goal of educational institutions in these troubled times in world affairs,” said Ali.
Student exchange will also be conducted with the Chinese University of Geosciences in Wuhan.
Candidates for the Minerals, Materials and Society program include, but are not limited to, mid-career energy and extractives industry and sustainability professionals, government officials and other civil servants, economists and scientists, graduating college students studying related disciplines, and nonprofit, museum and jewelry industry professionals.
Ali is a member of the United Nations International Resources Panel and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Panel of the Global Environment Facility, the world’s largest multilateral trust fund for the environment, held in trusteeship by the World Bank.
Patricia Syvrud, immediate past executive director of the World Diamond Council, was recruited by UD to work with Ali to develop the program, which will also have an external leadership council comprising leaders from industry, civil society and government agencies.
Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau
