University Gets $10-M Donation

The mining department at Queen’s University in Kingston has received a $10-million donation from alumnus and Kinross Gold founder Robert M. Buchan.

The donation, the largest single donation to mining education in Canadian history, is expected to help alleviate the anticipated shortage of trained mining engineers.

A portion of the funds, $2 million, will be spent on new student-focused programs and curriculum development, course materials and distance learning infrastructure. The remaining $8 million will endow academic and staff positions.

Thanks to the donation, Queen’s will now deliver a professional Master of Science program in mineral resources management (MRM), the first of its kind in Canada.

In recognition of the donation, the school’s mining department will be named the Buchan Department of Mining.