RAPID CITY, S.D. — A new international partnership will bring 20 students from Papua New Guinea to South Dakota Mines next fall as part of an initiative to strengthen that country’s workforce in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The announcement follows a recent visit from Papua New Guinea’s Minister of Education Lucas Dawa Dekena, Secretary of Education Uke Kombra, Ph.D., and other senior advisors, who toured the Rapid City campus. The delegation visited the Nucor Mineral Industries Building, civil and mechanical engineering facilities, and the university’s Competitive Applied Manufacturing and Prototype (CAMP) program.
“We are really impressed with what we saw today and everything the students are doing,” Dekena said during the tour. He added that the goal is for students to return home with both advanced technical skills and the “American spirit and can-do attitude” to drive innovation.
Papua New Guinea launched its student abroad initiative three years ago and already has more than 120 students studying throughout the Dakotas. The government funds scholarships for participants with the expectation that they will return home to apply their training in mining, energy and other industries vital to the country’s development.
Beth Riley, director of the Ivanhoe International Center at Mines, helped initiate the partnership after learning of the program during a recruiting trip to Asia. “With international partnerships, there is a wonderful fostering of global research collaborations, enhancing the academic reputation of the university on a global scale, boosting student opportunities both incoming and outgoing, and supporting economic growth in key industries like mining and energy,” Riley said.
Rudra Mitra, Ph.D., associate professor of mining engineering and management, and Kelli McCormick, Ph.D., senior lecturer, also played key roles in connecting with Papua New Guinea officials and faculty at the University of Papua New Guinea. Mitra said that when officials saw the research and student projects at Mines, “they were literally blown away.”
While the initial goal is to enroll 20 students next fall, Kombra said the program is only a starting point, with hopes to expand in the coming years.
The partnership underscores South Dakota Mines’ growing role in global STEM education and its link to the Black Hills’ mining and energy industries.
