One of the main tasks of this center will be talent development of the staff employed at the enterprises of the mineral resources sector.
The agreement between the government of the Russian Federation and the UN on the establishment of the International Center of Competence in Mining Education was ratified by the State Duma on October 18. The center itself will be organized on the base of Saint-Petersburg Mining University under the auspices of UNESCO.
In particular, this new center will be responsible for the formation of an international professional certification system of engineers employed at the mineral companies. The problem is that, as of today, there is an acute shortage of skilled workers in the mineral industry. Due to this fact, it is especially important to make sure that specialists, in particular those who have just received a higher education diploma, are certified by experts from the professional communities. The lack of qualified staff is one of a few causes of industrial accidents, which often lead to the loss of human lives and large-scale environmental damage.
According to Vladimir Litvinenko, the Principal of the Mining University, "We are now developing a system, which is quite similar to the one that already exists in aviation. The graduate student works as an intern at the field for two or three years, then takes a monthly training course to become familiar with industry standards, and after having completed his education he receives an international level certificate. As a result, his value on the market increases, same as the capitalization of companies where employees are certified by professional communities".
Another task of the center will be creating favourable conditions, so as to increase academic mobility of students, postgraduates, teachers and scientists. For this purpose, it is expected that 180 million rubles will be allocated annually from the federal budget. The expenses will be carried out as a part of of the state-run program "Developing science and technology".
The world's leading mining institutions have already expressed a desire to contribute to the work of the International Center of Competence. Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (Germany), Leoben Mining University (Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria), as well as multiple Canadian, Australian, Chinese and other field-specific universities are among them.
