The Rockers Team among the finalists of the NGEA 2026 challenge

The Next Generation Explorers Award (NGEA) organized by the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) is one of the most prestigious global open challenges for geoscience university students, in the field of mineral exploration. The task is to transform datasets into their interpretation of the subsurface geology and mineralisation targets. Finalist teams are invited to the PDAC Convention in Toronto to present their results.

For the NGEA 2026 challenge, the joint team of the University of Miskolc, Hungary and Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland has been selected among the six teams which will present their results on 2 March, during the PDAC Convention in Toronto, Canada.

The Rockers Team is composed of eight international students: two of them are from the TIMREX European joint master programme and six are Stipendium Hungaricum / SCYP scholars at the University of Miskolc. The team was working on the Tellus geochemical-geophysical database and developed a solution where deep learning meets geoscience. This work was an integration of CNN, AHP, and multisource data for mineral prospectivity mapping of Irish-type deposits in the Republic of Ireland.

See more information here: https://pdac.ca/convention-2026/programming-2026/student-early-career-program-2026/next-generation-explorers-award-ngea-finalist-presentations-2026

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TIMREX 4th Cohort Welcomed at ELT Label Induction Days in Zagreb

On November 6–7, 2025, the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering (RGN) at the University of Zagreb hosted the annual ELT Label induction days for the fourth cohort of TIMREX students. The event brought together six joint master’s students from the University of Miskolc, five students from the University of Zagreb, and participants from the PROMISE Erasmus Mundus Joint Master programmes.

The first day featured presentations on the support provided by EIT RawMaterials, the innovation infrastructure at the University of Zagreb, and challenge-based learning initiatives. Students also toured the Faculty’s laboratories and mineral collection.

On the second day, participants visited the St. Barbara Mine, a restored historic mining site near Samobor, offering a unique opportunity to connect theory with practice and explore the region’s mining heritage.

This event underscores TIMREX’s commitment to combining academic excellence with practical experience, preparing students for leadership in the raw materials sector.

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Workshop on Digital Geosciences Course Development Held in Zagreb

On November 4–5, 2025, the Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering (RGN) at the University of Zagreb hosted a workshop dedicated to the development of a short course on Digital Geosciences. The event gathered members of the TIMREX-CRM Consortium, including representatives from the University of Zagreb, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Technical University of Leoben, and University of Miskolc, with online contributions from Luleå University of Technology and the Geological Survey of Slovenia.

The workshop focused on designing a joint course that will equip participants with advanced skills in digital methods for mineral resource exploration. The planned course will consist of three modules:

  • Introductory unit to provide essential background knowledge
  • Online module offering theoretical and practical training in handling high-resolution digital data, such as hyperspectral imagery and airborne geophysical datasets
  • On-site module featuring practical exercises and real-world applications

This initiative marks a significant step toward integrating cutting-edge digital technologies into mineral exploration education, fostering collaboration among leading European institutions.

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Two Students, Four Countries, Four Universities, One Topic: Recsk

Bilguun Tsenguun (Mongolia) (pictured) is currently a student at Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland as part of the EIT-labelled TIMREX program, and Lidbert Alarcón Laimé (Peru), currently a PhD student at Université Laval (Quebec, Canada). Both were among the four selected student participants whose participation and travel were sponsored by the Canadian MDRU under the Eldorado Gold Scholarship program. This was for the AME World Geological Research Conference held in Vancouver at the end of January 2025.

The event has significant Hungarian relevance. Lidbert graduated as an MSc student from the Earth Science Engineering MSc at University of Miskolc, Hungary with the help of the Stipendium Hungaricum scholarship. Bilguun, on the other hand, has already been working with the teaching staff at Miskolc for half a year and will officially be a student at the University of Miskolc in the TIMREX program during the first semester of 2025.

Both of their poster topics were on the same Hungarian ore deposit, the Recsk Deep Level, and it was through this work that they earned the opportunity to participate. Bilguun will continue the Recsk modeling in Miskolc, while Lidbert will do so in Canada.

Congratulations to both! International attention on Recsk is now guaranteed; it is time to awaken domestic interest from its decades-long slumber regarding this unique ore deposit complex.

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TIMREX CRM – the programme continues in 2025!

TIMREX-CRM project as the continuation of the TIMREX project for the period 2025-2027 aims to further improve the TIMREX joint master project for two more cohorts. Graduates will become T-shaped mineral exploration professionals for an efficient implementation of the EU CRM Act, integrating more deep-tech technologies and approaches in field and laboratory practices. The project adds challenge-based experiences for students, will strengthen the start-up creating actions and ecosystem and ESG mindset, improve fieldwork activities at all academic partners.

TIMREX-CRM project will focusing on curriculum development, extend fieldwork and start-up creating activities. The program aims to meet the strategic needs outlined in the CRM Act while providing skilled workforce for the exploration of critical and strategic minerals in the EU.

The curriculum aims to incorporate advanced mineral exploration technologies, including deep-tech achievements, with a strong focus on fieldwork and application of cutting-edge approaches. The project aligns with the changing exploration regulatory framework in the EU and seeks to tailor the curriculum to meet the targets of the CRM Act.

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Sustainable Natural Resources Dialogue & Conference

The University of Miskolc, together with international partners, had initiated a dialogue and conference series to discuss strategic challenges related to the Sustainable Management of Natural Resources. The first event of the Conference Series was organized on the 28th of November, 2024, at the University of Miskolc, with a special focus on Sustainable Raw Materials Supply and the challenges and problems linked to the adoption of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The event provided a great opportunity for cooperation and dialogue between all stakeholders of the innovation ecosystem – politicians, researchers, and industrial partners – at the international level.

Learn more!
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PhD school in Social Licence to Operate. Apply before 15 December 2024!

In the scope of EIT RawMaterials project PRO-SLO, we have opened the Call for applications for all PhD students interested in the topic of Social Licence to Operate (SLO). You can apply here by 15th December 2024 (the latest).

The programme will take part online and on-site:

  1. On-line part: 3-7 February 2025; programme below (basic SLO principles and terminology from various perspectives)
  2. On-site part: 7-11 of April 2025; Adriatic Metals, Vareš, Bosnia and Herzegovina (students will be assigned with the specific Case- Study for which they will have to develop a methodology to obtain SLO)

Between the two parts, in the interval period, online mentorship meetings will take place between lecturers and students in order to process the material from the online part and prepare better for the on-site part.

After the completion of PRO-SLO PhD school, the student will know and understand:

  • The concept, principles and business case for a SLO in the mining industry, and the risks involved in ignoring the importance of a social license.
  • The nature and dynamics of the stakeholder network, the role of social capital, and how to interact with communities to establish a legitimate SLO.
  • Expenses for on-site participation are covered from the project. Students will be reimbursed for their travel costs
  • Programme had been awarded with 4 ECTS credits and is a part of the doctoral school of the University of Zagreb
  • Certificates will be issued for the students so that your Universities can recognised gained ECTS
Registration

MORE INFORMATION:

Call for Students
Draft agenda
Contract
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Zagreb EIT labelled induction days

  • Organised: UNIZG-RGNF, UM, EIT RawMaterials
  • Location: Lecture room INA-ground floor VP02, RGNF, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10 000 Zagreb / hybrid
  • Date: Monday – Tuesday, 28-29/10/2024

LINK to the GoTo Meeting will be sent to participants that register:

Registration

Goals

  1. Improving awareness on the EIT, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Alumni, RawMaterials Academy and labelled master programmes
  2. Inclusion of the TIMREX students and staff to the EIT support programmes for students-entrepreneurs
  3. Linking the UNIZG staff and students with existing innovation infrastructure (Nuqleus)

Target groups

  1. TIMREX students and academic staff
  2. BSc students from Mining Engineering, Geological Engineering and Geology
  3. All students and staff of the UNIZG-RGNF and UNIZG

Programme

28 October 2024

Moderator: Sibila Borojević Šoštarić

Time Content
11:50 – 12:20
– Gathering of the participants
– Networking coffee and snacks
12:20 – 12:30
Welcoming words:
– assoc. prof. Vladislav Brkić, dean of the UNIZG-RGNF
– prof. Ferenc Madai, TIMREX programme coordinator
12:30 – 13:30
EIT labelled master programmes and activities, Benjamin Maloney, Education Manager, EIT RawMaterials:
– Who we are (EIT/EIT RawMaterials)
– RawMaterials Academy
– EIT Alumni
– Overview of the EIT labelled master programmes
– From student to entrepreneur with support of the EIT (EIT programmes for students entrepreneurs)
– Schedule of the EIT academy activities
13:30 – 14:30
Innovation infrastructure at the University of Zagreb, Deni Nurkić, deep-tech venture builder Nuqleus
– What is deep-tech and what is our role in that sector?
– What is intellectual property (IP) and how to commercialize it?
– From idea to validation and beyond (through Nuqleus)
– Practical examples of research commercialization
– Synergy with EIT programmes
14:30 – 15:00
Q&A Conclusions (Sibila Borojević Šoštarić)
15:00 – 16:00
Light lunch & Networking
16:00 – 17:00
Laboratory and mineralogical collections tour (RGNF)

29 October 2024

Hald-day field trip: Sibila Borojević Šoštarić & Ana Maričić

Time Content
8:00 – 8:30
Gathering of the participants and departure from the RGNF building, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10 000 Zagreb
08:30 – 12:00
Field trip – St Barbara Mine near Samobor
12:00 – 14:00
Field lunch & Returning trip
14:00 –
End of the programme
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Steering Committee meeting in Wroclaw, Poland

The TIMREX consortium had the opportunity to meet in person for the yearly Steering Committee meeting held in Wroclaw, Poland, in hybrid mode, allowing online participation as well. The event took place on 27-28 June 2024, hosted by the partner Wroclaw University of Science and Technology.

The event was initiated with welcome words and practicalities by the coordinator Ferenc Mádai (University of Miskolc), followed by the overview of the agenda and the objectives of the meeting. After that, all partners engaged in discussions about administrative topics and workplan with regards to the different components of the TIMREX programme.

The latest editions of the Summer School and Applied Field Exploration course were presented, including the feedback provided by the participating students, followed by discussions on how to improve them for the upcoming cohort. The Exploration entrepreneurship course, a strong entrepreneurial component of TIMREX programme, was presented.

After that, the partners overviewed the thesis topics of the students and their internship activities as TIMREX students. The purpose of this section was to monitor the academic progress of the students, and to plan the necessary actions to fulfill the objectives of the study programme.

The issue with regards to the upcoming third cohort were also discussed, in order to evaluate the statistics and lessons learned from previous cohorts.

Finally, the partners engaged in discussing the targets to be met in the near future and to assess the possibilities to extend the partnership for additional years.

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