| Digging Deeper: Minerals, Metals, and the Making of Tomorrow | |
| LECTURERS: | Dr. Miriam Andres |
| SCOPE: | This course combines lectures, case studies, and student-led research to examine the complexity of extracting minerals and metals —resources essential to the electronic and digital economy. We will investigate why these minerals are central to decarbonizing society, how they shape global geopolitics, and why they are often at the heart of trade conflicts and economic tensions. Topics include: • The historical evolution of mineral extraction over the last century and its role in technological progress • The exploration, extraction and processing of Lithium, Cobalt and Co. in a fast-pacing society and unpredictable macro-economy • Exploration at the frontiers, including seafloor and space mining • Legal and societal questions like "Who owns the mineral resources under your house and is this fair?" • Environmental aspects such as the carbon footprint of the cement industry and potential solutions and alternatives • Switzerland’s own resource landscape, from salt and sand to gravel, with emphasis on the regional and national context • Switzerland’s efforts in waste management and the potential of urban mining and recycling |
| HELD AT: | BE |
| CATEGORY: | |
| ECTS Credits: | 3 |
| PREREQUISITES: | |
| REQUISITES: | |
| FORMAT: | Lecture |
| FREQUENCY: | annually in fall semester |
| CONTENTS: | From sand to solar panels, from molybdenum to mobile phones, and from cobalt to computers—mineral resources underpin nearly every facet of modern life. We are consuming more of these materials than ever before in human history.
This course provides a foundational understanding of mineral resources in the context of sustainability, technology, and society. Key learning objectives include: - Identifying essential minerals and understanding the global resource base - Exploring the distribution, extraction methods, and transport logistics of mineral resources - Investigating frontier domains like deep-sea and space mining, and their geopolitical dimensions • Understanding environmental risks, legal structures, and societal impacts related to resource extraction • Gaining insight into CO₂ emissions in materials like cement and the complexities of carbon capture and storage • Learning about Switzerland’s local resources (sand, gravel, hard rock, salt) and their management |
| ASSESSMENT: | |
| REMARKS: | new course |
(prer): Courses with prerequisites.