Lluís Fontboté,
SGA NEWS editor, Geneva
Jobs: a Good Reason to Reinforce Economic Geology Teaching at
European Universities
"The minerals exploration business is presently in a unique position.
Over the past few years there has probably been more money spent on minerals
exploration than at any time in the past. Furthermore, the level of activity
is more uniformly spread globally than ever before. More countries are
open for exploration than ever in the past. Consequently the opportunities
for graduates entering the business now are unprecedented." This was the
start of a keynote address given by Noel White, Chief Geologist, BHP Minerals
International Exploration, at a recent seminar at the University of Geneva.
Similar statements were made by representatives from major oil companies
regarding the work market situation in hydrocarbon exploration.
My experience confirms these views. Recent graduates of our university
are finding it easier to get positions in the mineral and oil exploration
industry than in other "modern fields" including environmental geology.
Strangely enough, the jobs argument is one which only rarely is brought
up in academic discussion when fighting against cutbacks in classical Earth
Sciences. The fact is that today European university graduates with a wide
field-based practical and theoretical geological training, with critical
and analytical thinking, and with a sound foundation in ore deposits have
their main career opportunity in mineral exploration. Of course, the jobs
will probably not be in Europe. But in a global economy, what else
could be expected in a truly international industry, as mineral exploration
has always been? The question is whether our universities always provide
this solid basic training. In geological mapping and practical aspects
at least, significant shortcomings exist. But there are also serious concerns
in the field of economic geology, as in some universities it is not even
possible for students to study a course on ore deposits.
The Society of Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits has, in my opinion,
a responsibility to help improve this situation by (1) facilitating bridges
between industry and academia (the Turku Biennial Meeting, with a very
significant participation from industry, shows the right direction), (2)
specifying what the basic training needs are, (3) increasing the visibility
of economic geology as a modern and necessary activity, and (4) transmitting
the message to education and academic authorities that well-formed exploration
geologists are getting jobs and that they will also be needed
by industry in the future.
All can profit: Universities from new exciting research topics on metallogeny;
students from better career opportunities; industry from well-trained professionals;
...and SGA from future active members.
Lluís Fontboté,
SGA NEWS editor, Geneva
Note: As foreseen, with this number 4, I will cease being editor of
SGA NEWS. The newsletter will continue to be edited in Geneva for two years
more under the direction of Dr. Massimo Chiaradia (who acted as coeditor
from No.1),
and with the support of other members of the Geneva Ore Deposits Group.
I would like to thank warmly all the authors and contributors who have
always sent (almost) on time the solicited articles and have made the editor’s
task an easy one. My special thanks go to Massimo Chiaradia who, while
heavily engaged at the lead isotope laboratory, has been, from the very
beginning, instrumental in the creation and production of SGA NEWS. I wish
him great success and a lot of fun editing SGA NEWS.