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Left to right: CivMin professors Kamran Esmaeili, Sebastian Goodfellow, CivMin Chair Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou, His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, and Saudi Arabian officials. (photo by Phill Snel)

On October 1, the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering at the University of Toronto welcomed a visiting delegation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, headed by His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia.

The official visit to Canada aims to enhance industrial and mining cooperation between the two countries, explore mutual opportunities in industry and mining, and attract foreign investments to the Kingdom. Accompanying Alkhorayef were leaders from the country’s industry and mining sector, as well as from its Human Capital Development initiative. The group visited U of T to learn about its academic programs supporting the development of the industrial and mining sectors, human-resource development programs, and acquiring high skills in mining operations.

U of T Engineering Dean Chris Yip (left) gestures towards His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef during his visit to the University of Toronto. The delegation met to discuss mining and mineral engineering programs and opportunities. (photo by Phill Snel)

The delegation was hosted by U of T Engineering Dean Chris Yip, Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou, Chair of the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin), along with CivMin’s Lassonde Mineral Engineering professors Sebastian Goodfellow, director of the Lassonde Institute of Mining and Kamran Esmaeili, director of the Mining Industry Management Program.

Goodfellow provided an overview of the Lassonde Mineral Engineering undergraduate program, graduate studies as well as research opportunities. The delegation showed interest in remote-learning and self-paced opportunities provided to working professionals through the new Mining Industry Management Program’s online format.

The group toured CivMin research facilities, including the Structural Testing Facility‘s strong floor prepared for the new adjustable multidimensional testing system, and the Rock Fracture Dynamics Facility, where specimens are subjected to simulated experimental conditions such as the temperature and pressure far beneath the surface.

Professor Marianne Hatzopoulou (CivMin) shows His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef the Structural Testing Facilities. (photo by Phill Snel)

Complementing the occasion, the visiting delegation also had the serendipitous good fortune to meet a Saudi undergraduate student, Dalaa Roshod (Year 1, ChemE), while touring. Roshod remarks, “I came to U of T Engineering to pursue my dreams of pushing Saudi forward in the clean energy industry. I plan to participate in future projects that will contribute to reaching Saudi Arabia’s “net zero GHG emissions by 2060″ goal.”

Alkhorayef announced the Kingdom’s intention to create 200,000 jobs in mining and mining-related fields, and was pleased to move forward with a relationship with CivMin, and work progressively toward more substantial and involved endeavours.

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