12.10.07
Cornwall mining course gets Europe’s seal of approval

A programme of Masters degree courses run by the University of Exeter’s Camborne School of Mines (CSM) has been given a seal of approval by the European Commission. Based at the Tremough Campus, Penryn, CSM has been awarded Erasmus Mundus status for its Minerals and Environmental Programme, which it runs together with five European universities.

The European Commission awards Erasmus Mundus status to selected Masters courses on offer in Europe. The accreditation is a reflection of academic excellence and the success of CSM’s internationally integrated study programmes. The Erasmus Mundus Minerals and Environmental Programme (EMMEP) was one of just 23 programmes chosen from 174 applications in 2007.

Professor Hylke Glass from the University of Exeter said: “While CSM’s roots are very firmly in Cornwall, we have a global reach, working with organisations from all over the world and sharing our expertise in mining and minerals on an international scale. We are very proud of the ErasmusMundus qualification, which is another example of the quality of our research and teaching being recognized.”

This series of courses is a collaboration between the University of Exeter’s Camborne School of Mines, the Delft University of Technology, RTWH Aachen, Helsinki University of Technology and University of Miskolc en Wroclaw University of Technology. Each of the universities is renowned for research and teaching in mining and minerals engineering. Students spend time in three to four different universities and will receive MSc degrees from two of the universities. The programme focuses on mining and minerals engineering and covers the extraction, processing and recycling of resources in addition to aspects of environmental and geotechnical engineering.

The programme accepts 45 EU and 20 non-EU students annually. 20 scholarships are available each year for talented students from outside the EU, with the total value of the scholarships for a period of five years being nearly £3 million.

More than 30 multinational companies sponsor the programme. The industrial support contributes significantly to the programme’s success, with companies offering a choice of internships and job opportunities to participating students.

Camborne School of Mines (CSM) was founded in 1888 and became part of the University of Exeter in 1993. CSM has an international reputation for research and teaching related to the understanding and management of the Earth's natural processes, resources and the environment. Its portfolio of undergraduate, postgraduate and research degree programmes provide an excellent basis for careers, in the UK or overseas, within the Earth resources, civil engineering, environmental and energy sectors. The vast majority of CSM graduates are employed in areas related to their degree. CSM is based at the University of Exeter's Tremough Campus, near Penryn, Cornwall, which is shared with University College Falmouth as part of the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) initiative.

For further information please contact Sarah Hoyle, Press Officer, University of Exeter, on 01392 262062.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2, through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). University of Exeter is a partner of the CUC.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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