The University of Western Australia and The University of Queensland have welcomed today鈥檚 announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of an international mining centre to facilitate greater prosperity for developing nations.
The $31 million International Mining for Development Centre, funded by the Federal Government through AusAID, will provide practical advisory, education and training services to developing nations, most notably African, across mining-related issues.
Based at UWA in Perth, the centre will support developing nations to establish and maintain sustainable mining sectors, improve governance and accountability in developing nations and strengthen economic outcomes through better industry governance, education and capacity building in developing nations.
The Centre will reinforce Australia鈥檚 position at the forefront of best practice and innovative mining methods and technologies.
UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Alan Robson and 国产探花 Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Greenfield said the new centre would broaden and deepen the existing collaborations in mining and energy education and research between the two leading national universities.
Professor Alan Robson said: 鈥淭he University of Queensland and The University of Western Australia are committed to delivering high quality education, training and research to developing nations.
鈥淲e believe this initiative can contribute to lifting the quality of life in developing nations through more sustainable utilisation of minerals and energy resources.鈥�
Professor Greenfield said: 鈥淭his is a far-sighted strategic investment of Australian aid and development funds. It is in our national interest and in the interests of people of resource-rich developing regions.鈥�
The Vice-Chancellors announced that the Centre鈥檚 inaugural director would be Ian Satchwell, an executive with Australian services firms in mining, environment and economics, and recently a trade and investment advisor to the Government of Indonesia.
Mr Satchwell has 25 years鈥� experience in economics and industry policy at domestic and international levels. He has been involved in policy formulation by industry and government on international trade and investment, environmental policy and regulation, competition policy and microeconomic reform, and climate change policy.
Media:
Michael Sinclair-Jones (UWA) 0400 700 783
Fiona Kennedy (国产探花) 0413 380 012
Ian Satchwell 0404 822 492
