“Heavy Metal” was a Winter Term 2, 2023 collaborative course, jointly sponsored by the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, the Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Sciences, Peter A. Allard School of Law, and the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering.
This interdisciplinary course examined the role of mining and mineral resources in the transition towards clean, renewable energy systems – and received funding from the Killam Connection program, an initiative through UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. The course was selected from 21 proposals for an innovative, interdisciplinary graduate course in the 2021-22 competition.
The faculty members behind the course, Dr. Nadja Kunz (lead), Dr. Alison Macfarlane, Dr. Philippe Tortell, Dr. Carol Liao, and Dr. Scott Dunbar, were given $25,000 to help with all aspects of the course, including invited speakers, public events, and public scholarship outputs by graduate students.
“Heavy Metal” examined the transition to green technologies and renewable energy systems through the lens of mineral resources and mining. Topics included the global supply/demand forecast for mineral resources; social and environmental impacts across the mining life cycle (from mineral exploration to mine closure); metals recycling and recovery; and legal and policy frameworks for mineral governance, both internationally and in Canada, with a particular focus on Indigenous sovereignty issues. Students also learned about options for responsible sourcing and community-led mining.
Through exposure to these topics and collaborative group projects, students gained a deeper understanding of the factors that shape and constrain progress toward socially and environmentally responsible mineral resource use and production systems. Students were also exposed to diverse viewpoints through guest lectures and collaborative teamwork.
The course was cross-listed across four UBC faculties, and graduate students can register using the following course codes:
- PPGA 591W.001 – School of Public Policy & Global Affairs
- LAW 467D.003 – Peter A. Allard School of Law
- EOSC 543.201 – Earth and Ocean Science
- MINE 590W.201 –NBK Institute of Mining Engineering