The University of Exeter is set to relaunch its historic undergraduate mining engineering degree program.
The program, delivered by experts from the Camborne School of Mines, is being reintroduced after a five-year hiatus at the university’s Penryn campus in Cornwall.
The first cohort of undergraduate mining engineering students are due to be welcomed to the university in the 2025/26 academic year.
The degree will be part of the university’s Engineering 2030 strategy that will see an increased portfolio of engineering program at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.
Students on all existing and new programs will study a common first year and will be able to convert to the dedicated mining engineering program in their second year of study.
The university is also seeking to create scholarships to support students to continue onto the conversion program.
Professor Lisa Roberts, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, announced the decision at a recent Camborne School of Mines Association gala dinner in Perth, Australia.
“Our Camborne School of Mines is known worldwide for its crucial role in providing skills provision, research and innovation in mining and critical minerals resourcing,” Roberts said at the event.
“One of the key missions of our Strategy 2030 goal is to lead meaningful action against the climate emergency and ecological crisis. Mining is integral to modern society, and as we look to transition to net zero, the demand for critical minerals is only going to increase,” she said.
Roberts acknowledged one of the largest concerns in recent years of the mining industry is the recruitment of new graduates, adding the relaunch aims to support the future health of the mining industry.
“The work that we do have never been more crucial, as we transition towards net zero and the demand for critical minerals increases. It is vital that we are at the forefront of supporting future generations of mining engineers, to help build a greener future for us all,” Professor Pat Foster, head of Camborne School of Mines, said in a media statement.
Last year, CSM launched two mining engineering programs – the Mine Management Degree Apprenticeship program and a part-time degree to provide current mining employees from diverse business specialisms, regulators and service providers with industry-relevant exposure to every aspect of the global mining value chain.