2026 Sustainable Minerals Institute Next Generation HDR Student Conference

The 2026 Next Generation HDR Student Conference brings together HDR students, researchers, and industry professionals to share knowledge, showcase research, and foster meaningful connections within the minerals sector. 

The program features a diverse range of presentation formats designed to highlight different aspects of student research and encourage active participation

This year’s themes are:

• Environmental Management and Rehabilitiation
• Social Responsibility and Governance
• Safe and Sustainable Mining Operations
• The program will include oral presentations, poster sessions, keynote addresses, panel discussions, a 3-Minute Thesis competition for SMI students, and the SMI Memorial Awards ceremony will be held on Friday 3 July.

Register now!

All HDR students, academic staff, and industry guests are welcome to attend. Registration is free but essential for catering and logistics.
Conference Registration  – Fill out form (you can use this form to register attendance at the Memorial Awards also)

SEE THE FULL PROGRAM HERE 

VIEW THE CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Keynote Speaker: Environmental Management and Rehabilitation

James Purtill, Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner

James Purtill is Queensland’s Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner. Prior to this James has held  numerous senior leadership roles in government including as Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources, Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency and Commissioner of the Public Service. His private sector experience includes as General Manager with a large multi-national Engineering, Procurement and Contract Management firm, and served as Managing Director for an environmental rehabilitation company

Keynote Speaker: Safe and Sustainable Mineral Exploration, Extraction and Processing 

Dr Dave Lawie, Chief Geoscientist, IMDEX

Dr Dave Lawie is the Chief Geoscientist at IMDEX, a global mining technology company that connects geoscience, data, and decision-making across the exploration-to-production value chain. He holds a PhD in Geosciences and Analytics and brings extensive international experience spanning mineral exploration, R&D, and mining innovation. At IMDEX, Dave focuses on integrating technology, geoscience, and financial insight to enhance orebody knowledge (OBK) and apply Value of Information (VoI) frameworks that improve technical confidence and capital efficiency. His current work sits at the intersection of geology, geopolitics, and sustainability—shaping industry thinking around critical minerals, resource resilience, and the low-carbon transition.

Keynote Speaker: Social Responsibility and Governance 

Dr Sandy Worden, Senior Research Fellow, CSRM

Sandy is a social researcher and communication management specialist. Her research interests are centred on multi-actor governance of industrial development – mining, oil and gas extraction, power generation (including renewables) and ancillary infrastructure (pipelines and transmission lines). She is interested in the interface between governance actors (Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, proponents and governments) at local, regional and state/provincial levels and how they seek to enhance the benefits from industrial development and avoid or mitigate its adverse impacts.

Panel: PHD Career Experience 

• Bob Boshrouyeh 
• Ziming Ye 
• Nurassyl Battalgazy 
• Pia Lois-Morales 
• Anna Skliar 

Learn more about the panellists here.

Panel: Research Commercialisation

• Industry Professor Leigh Staines 
• Flavio Perera Andre 
• Helen Smith

Learn more about the panellists here.

Themes

Environmental Management and Rehabilitation

This session offers a platform for SMI MPhil and PhD students to showcase their cutting-edge research on minimizing and mitigating the environmental impact of mining. Presentations will highlight advancements in areas such as innovative remediation technologies, sustainable mining practices, ecological rehabilitation and monitoring, and the application of digital tools for environmental management and decision-making.

Social Responsibility and Governance

This session provides students, particularly those engaged in social sciences research, with opportunities to share their research 
 findings with wider audience in the mining sector. It aims to cover a variety of topics in social aspects of mining, including but not limited to community engagement, displacement & resettlement, Indigenous rights, just transitions, and working conditions of miners, as well as the application of AI in shaping ethical governance frameworks and community-centred decision-making in the mining industry.

The Safe and Sustainable Mineral Exploration, Extraction and Processing

These sessions bring together students to share their research and insights on improving safety and sustainability across the minerals value chain. It explores advancements in technologies and approaches that address the challenges of complex operations, with a focus on reducing environmental impacts, enhancing resource efficiency, integrating safety practices, and applying innovative tools or strategies throughout the mineral lifecycle—from exploration and extraction to milling and tailings management and reprocessing.

Sponsors

Platinum sponsor: JKTech

Bronze Sponsor: Mining3

Bronze Sponsor: ARC COE Minerals

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the Organising Committee at smihdrcac@uq.edu.au.