VANCOUVER, Canada: Sarawak is strengthening its collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC) to develop talent, research, and innovation in the state’s green mining and quarrying sector.
A delegation from CENTEXS and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development (MUDeNR) visited UBC recently, culminating in the signing of a Statement of Cooperation (SoC) between the three parties.
The partnership will cover professional and higher education programmes in mining and geology, research and innovation in mineral resources, sustainable mining, workforce development and consultancy in advanced technologies such as satellites, UAVs, AI, robotics and green mining policy.
The initiative follows an initial engagement led by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan during his official visit to UBC’s Bradshaw Research Institute for Minerals and Mining in June last year.
The delegation, led by CENTEXS Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Syeed Mohd Hussein Wan Abdul Rahman, met with UBC’s leadership team to emphasise Sarawak’s commitment to sustainable and responsible development of the mining and quarrying sector, including talent development and institutional frameworks.
Mining, identified as one of six key economic sectors under Sarawak’s Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS 2030), is expected to drive growth with the state’s RM1.65 trillion in mineral reserves, prompting CENTEXS and MUDeNR to develop a workforce ranging from professional to semi-skilled levels.
In line with this, a workshop on Talent and Workforce Development for the Mineral Industry in Sarawak was organised, attracting 127 participants from 51 mining and quarrying companies.
The event also included representatives from the Sarawak Quarries Association, Jabatan Mineral Geosains Malaysia (Sarawak), Academy of Quarrying (IQM), the Ministry of Education, Innovation and Talent Development and other government and private entities.
To ensure effective capacity building, CENTEXS and MUDeNR will launch the Green Mining and Quarrying Academy at CENTEXS in Sarawak in December, with a tripartite Memorandum of Agreement between UBC, MUDeNR and CENTEXS to follow in February 2026.
The delegation’s visit included a campus tour and engagement with UBC’s academic ecosystem, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to professional certification, higher education programmes, joint projects, knowledge exchange, and research collaboration.
