CSM students enjoy success at international mining competition

Two teams from the mining school, based at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus in Cornwall, were amongst the frontrunners at the recent National Mining Competition, held in Canada.

The competition, held at the Edwards Business School, Saskatchewan, saw 16 teams from 12 higher education institutions from across the globe take part in the challenging event.

The teams were asked to review a number of mineral assets, and then spend 36 hours preparing a business proposal for a perspective company, which was then presented to a board of industry professionals.

Both teams from CSM finished amongst the leaders, securing second and fourth places.

Speaking after the event Mark Whitfield, a First-Year Mining Engineer and team organiser said: “This was the first time that CSM has competed at this competition, which put us at a slight disadvantage compared to most of the other teams, but it went fantastically well.

“Most if not all of the teams put together preliminary proposals that were described as ‘exceptional’, so to finish second and fourth was a real achievement.

"We had such generous support from so many people, including CSM and the University of Exeter, Lundin Mining, the CSM Trust, KPMG, and FXU, while special thanks must go to Paul Wheeler and Dr Lewis Meyer for their academic support. We are already making plans to return next year and build on our success.”

Professor Ken Evans, Dean of the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, congratulated the teams on their success, saying: “Once again students from CSM have shown that they are amongst the very best in the world, and I am delighted for their success. Competitions such as this allow students not just to demonstrate their own exceptional talents, but also enhance the global reputation of the School of Mines, the University of Exeter, and everyone involved in their journey as an undergraduate.”

Founded in 2012, the National Mining Competition is Saskatchewan and Canada’s first undergraduate mining case competition. Teams are challenged to solve an innovative mining strategy case relevant to business issues facing firms within the global mining sector. This year’s competition featured teams from India, Canada, Germany and the USA, as well as CSM.