During May and June, IM4DC will host alumni days in Indonesia and Mongolia for alumni from Australian-funded mining governance training and capacity building programs, including IM4DC. They are delivered in close collaboration with local alumni coordinating committees in each country.
The one-day forums will provide alumni the opportunity to provide feedback on the impact of mining for development activities, and identify potential new research and education collaborations, strengthen existing partnerships and provide recommendations on future mining for development capacity-building priorities and delivery modes.
Both alumni days will include thought-provoking keynote presentations and interactive workshop discussions. They will also provide alumni the opportunity to network, exchange ideas and share experiences.
In Mongolia, the Alumni Day is being combined with the launch of a major Australian Aid-funded research project – ‘Managing the impacts of minerals development on women and men and their traditional livelihoods in Mongolia’. This project was led by SMI’s Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining and the Gender Centre for Sustainable Development in Mongolia. The day will therefore provide an excellent opportunity to reflect on the close partnerships developed between the two countries in the Mining for Development area.
From its inception, IM4DC has been active in both Indonesia and Mongolia, reflecting the strong mining and capacity-building linkages between Australia and those nations and their desire to develop leading practice in mining governance to underpin sector development and sustainable benefits.
More than 250 Indonesian personnel have participated in IM4DC short courses, study tours, workshops and fellowships during the past three-and-a-half years, while 15 action research projects have focussed on Indonesian mining governance topics. A total of 238 participants from Mongolia, from 29 courses, have taken part in IM4DC capacity-building activities, with six action research projects having a Mongolian focus.