Integrating Sustainability Aspects in Mining Engineering Education

Providing higher education in the field of Mining Engineering means having the responsibility to provide competences for the next generations of decision makers in the field of raw material supply. This competences are the basics to solve the future problems. A significant issue in the future in the field of Mining is the sustainable development. It comprises the main future challenges in conflict area between economics, environmental and social matters. The alumni of our study program should be aware if of these and prepared for upcoming tasks. Therefore the integration of Sustainable Development in Curriculum of the international Master Program Mining Engineering at Clausthal University of Technology has been undertaken. The objectives is to prepare graduates for their future as professionals in Mining. For Integration of Sustainability two ways were followed simultaneously. On the one hand aspects of Sustainable Development are integrated in the usual technique facing courses. On the other hand a compulsory course is installed to give the opportunity to develop an own view of Sustainable development in Mining. The course Advanced Underground Mining combines project-based learning with the approach of just-in-time teaching. The objectives are to link the existent knowledge from other courses, to act as an expert and to communicate with different stakeholders. In the project the students should evolve a Mining Concept for a given situation. The results are presented to members of the concerned community where the deposit is situated as well as to a Mining expert. The objective of the course Sustainability in Underground Mining is to encourage students to develop an own opinion. Therefore students elaborate first together in an active atmosphere the Basics and Methods of Sustainable Development using fictional and real life examples and discuss them. In the second part different stakeholders give presentation on their field of action. The students get the opportunity to discuss their action and approaches with regard to Sustainability. During the whole course the students develop an own idea of sustainability, which is presented in an oral examination. The paper presents the mentioned courses as non-traditional teaching and learning activities. It focuses on frame condition, learning objectives, realization and results.

Proceedings of the 13th International CDIO Conference in Calgary, Canada, June 18-22 2017