Queen’s Mining teams have won every intercollegiate competition this year

Teams from the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at Queen’s have won every intercollegiate mining competition this academic year.

The distinction, confirmed in Vancouver this past February at the close of the 33^rd Annual Canadian Mining Games, followed wins at the Goodman Gold Challenge in early February, and the World Mining Competition in October 2022.

According to Angus McInnes, President of Queen’s Mining Society, this is the first time any school has won all three of these events in the same year.

“This performance by Queen's Mining students at intercollegiate events this year truly exemplifies excellence, well-roundedness, and leadership,” he says. “I believe this speaks to the quality of the mining program at Queen's, and the drive our students have to become the industry's next generation of leaders.”

The news comes amid the release of the annual QS World University Rankings, which positions the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining at #12 among “Mineral & Mining Engineering” schools in the world.

“The performance of our students in these competitions demonstrates the excellent program Queen’s offers,” says Queen’s Mining Department Head and Associate Professor Julián Ortiz, “covering the technical aspects of mining engineering, as well as a modern view of how the industry should face new challenges, including consideration to sustainability and the impact of mining activities in communities. Our students made all faculty and staff in the Robert M. Buchan Department of Mining extremely proud and we hope to continue maintaining this level in the future.”

McInnes provided the following summary of each competition.

World Mining Competition:

In late October, Queen's Mining sent four undergraduate students to Saskatoon to compete in the World Mining Competition. The team competed as one of eight teams from Canada, the USA, and the UK. Teams were tasked with evaluating investment decisions for a mining royalties streaming company during a 36 hour case competition. The case required teams to provide technical, financial, social, and environmental evaluations of each investment opportunity, ultimately providing a recommendation to a panel of judges. Prior to the competition, Queen's students met with Indigenous business leaders to understand the role that the mining industry plays in building Indigenous capacity, along with understanding how the mining industry and Indigenous groups can further achieve excellence in tandem. The Queen's team won first place in this event, and feedback from the organizing committee was that an understanding of ESG issues, along with a thorough technical solution, is what set Queen's apart from other schools.

Goodman Gold Challenge:

Hosted every February in Sudbury by Laurentian, the Goodman Gold Challenge brings teams from across Canada and the USA together to compete in a finance-centric undergraduate mining competition. Prior to the competition, teams are provided with three development-stage mining companies to evaluate. This year's competition theme focussed on battery metals companies, considering their necessity for a successful green energy transition. Ultimately, teams must provide event chair Jonathan Goodman with an investment recommendation. Queen's was able to finish first, beating out other schools typically recognized as the top mining engineering schools in the world, from both the USA and Canada. In addition to an excellent financial analysis and presentation, Queen's remodelling of a lithium deposit truly set them apart from the competition.

Canadian Mining Games:

Hosted this year by BCIT and UBC in Vancouver, the Canadian Mining Games provides 16 students from 11 universities the opportunity to compete in a variety of mining-related events. Events encapsulate skills and topics from mine design, health and safety, sustainable development, mine rescue, financial analysis, and anything in between. The Queen's team was split into small groups to tackle each of these individual competitions. Ultimately, the team was able to place very strongly, with each student achieving a podium position in at least one event. As a result, the Queen's team was awarded as the best team overall, and thus the winners of the Canadian Mining Games. Event hosts were impressed with the team's well-roundedness, professionalism, and excellence in each of the events.

“It is exciting to see that the future of the mining industry is in good hands,” says McInnes, “considering its necessity for key global goals such as the green energy transition. Thank you to all of our industry sponsors and faculty who have supported us this year. We would not have been able to do it without you.”