Far left, Imola Goltz, d Imola Gotz, VP Mining & Engineering Sandstorm Gold Royalties, 6th from left, Nadine Miller, VP, operational technologies at JDS Mining, David Awaram, SVP, Sandstorm Gold and far right, Friba Rezayee, founder, WLOT with UBC mining students from Afghanistan.
Under its interpretation of Islamic law, the Taliban notoriously banned girls from attending school past grade six after taking control of the country in 2021. Miners stepped up, and nearly C$500,000 was raised with support from founding donors Osisko Gold Royalties, Wheaton Precious Metals, Teck Resources, which also provided internships for the students, Pan American Silver, Hecla Mining, and others. Every department at UBC that was asked for support said yes, and 20 staff at the university are dedicated to the initiative.
“It is amazing to help these scholars achieve their desire for education in the mining industry,” Awram said. “Having motivated students chasing technical degrees in mining that have their perspectives is exactly what our industry requires. I really hope that the industry can provide a community and support network that allows them and future female scholars from Afghanistan to enter the world of mining.
One of the scholars, during her master’s in mining engineering at UBC, is studying how minerals processing can reduce plastic usage. Her goal is to pursue project management in sustainable mining practices, and she has secured an internship at Teck Resources. After successfully securing funding for entire two-year programs, Nadine Miller is now raising funds for the next cohort together with WLOT and the Former Minister of mining for Afghanistan, who is a refugee in Canada.