Meet some of our teachers
Our researchers become your teachers. The Swedish School of Mines is an initiative to deliver skills for the entire mineral and metal value chain that the world demands through the green transition.
“Increased pace of finding critical raw materials”
Tobias Bauer is assistant professor in the research subject ore geology.
With electrification and the green transition, the demand for critical metals such as batteries is increasing rapidly. A new EU-funded project will develop methods to reduce exploration costs and increase the likelihood of finding new sources of critical raw materials for battery production.
The project Exploration Information System (EIS) has recently received almost 60 million SEK from the Horizon Europe research program. Luleå University of Technology is part of the project with representation from the research subject ore geology, whose share corresponds to about six million SEK in labor input.
“Ore formation requires several different conditions that all need to interact with each other. Only if all conditions are in the right place at the right time can an ore deposit be formed. With EIS we will implement these conditions in new mineral system models. This gives us fast and cost-effective analysis tools for mineral exploration”, says Tobias Bauer, assistant professor in the research subject ore geology at Luleå University of Technology.
The developed methods will reduce the current high exploration costs and increase the probability of finding new sources of critical raw materials for battery production.
“We also want to increase public awareness and confidence in the importance of raw materials for a successful transition to a climate-neutral and digitalized economy and society. Furthermore, we will inform the public about how the EU can have a secure, sustainable and responsible supply of raw materials from domestic sources”, says Tobias Bauer.
The "Exploration Information System - EIS" project is a European consortium of 17 partners from research institutes, academia, service providers and industry. The members come from six EU Member States plus two non-European countries and cover the main metal-producing regions in Europe.
“These areas of the EU have different geology and great potential for different types of new mineral resources”, says Tobias Bauer.
“I am a mountain hiking and skiing environmental nerd”
Lina Hällström works in the research group for applied geochemistry at Luleå University of Technology that deals with environmental problems both in the natural environment and in the mining industry.
“In my work I evaluate the new concept "Remining". This means the possibility of cleaning up historically old sins of the mining industry by creating new mines from the old waste. This will remove pollution from nature and at the same time extract metals in Sweden, good huh?”
“Who am I? A few years ago, I would probably have been described as one of two handball goalkeepers in the BBK women's team. Today, there is hardly any part of handball left in my life. My training now mainly involves long-distance running and cross-country skiing.”
“The team spirit that disappeared with handball I now get elsewhere instead. If you look me up on Facebook, you would understand from my frequent status updates on integration that I am one of three women who run the non-profit Swedish school Let's Go Swedish. Four hours a week I get to meet a group of wonderful people from all over the world. For almost five years, we have had over 400 friends at our school and last year we were voted for the honorable award Årets Bodensare.
“I have long had the goal of changing the world for the better, both in environmental and integration issues. My Let's Go Swedish students often have to put up with this when I force them to read texts about plastics in the oceans, the importance of ecosystems, space, recycling or anything else in my own field of interest. As I mentioned in the introduction, job opportunities and development of the countryside, Boden and Norrbotten are also close to my heart.”
“I like to talk about geosciences in general, gold in the earth's crust and the climate”
I am from Gothenburg where I did my undergraduate degree in bedrock geology. After that, I moved to Luleå in 2002 to do my PhD and have since stayed on as a researcher and teacher.
What do you research?
“My research has been very much about how gold occurs in the earth's crust, how to prospect for the metal and also how to improve the extraction of gold in the mines. Recently, I've also been researching how to capture carbon dioxide for storage in the Swedish bedrock, known as CCS (Carbon Capture and Storage). In addition, I am the course director for the Master of Science in Natural Resources Engineering program and our Master's program in Geoscience, with a focus on ore geology and environmental geochemistry.”
How can your students benefit from your research?
“Like many other teachers, I incorporate my research and its results into my lectures in various courses. In this way, the students can directly benefit from what is happening in current research. I teach structural geology, mineralogical survey methods, isotope geology and supervise graduate students.”
Do you have any tips for new students?
“Ask questions to us teachers! For example, I like to talk about geoscience in general, gold in the crust and climate.”
“We research the entire value chain of minerals and metals”
Hesham Ahmed, Director of the Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Mineral Extraction.
“The program is an interdisciplinary education that will enable students to understand how the earth and the value chain for metals and minerals work. Students will be able to contribute to the sustainable use of mineral resources and learn to act in a global digitalized world.”
“The programme covers the entire value chain from exploration, mining and enrichment, to smelting, refining and recycling, while emphasizing the environmental, social and economic aspects. Training is provided in close cooperation with the relevant industry.”
“The program aims to train students with the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the green transition and the resulting increased demand for metals. The program will create an understanding of the sustainable value chain.”

Christna Wanhainen and Nils Jansson
“We see an increased need for all kinds of metals, both base and critical metals”
Meet Christna Wanhainen and Nils Jansson, teachers at the Sustainable Mineral Extraction program.
Christina, why do we need metals in the sustainable society and can metals be extracted sustainably?
“The question covers the critical metals needed for the green transition and how this program teaches you how to find and extract them, etc.”
“The human need for metals and minerals is increasing, in line with an increasing world population and the green transition that is now taking place. Renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and solar cells, require a lot of base metals and also a number of critical metals, i.e. metals that are of great economic importance but are not produced in the EU.”
“There is up to twelve times more copper in renewable energy systems compared to traditional systems. An electric car, for example, contains more than three times as much copper as a petrol car, and therefore the demand for copper will increase for a long time to come. The green transition thus implies an increased need for all kinds of metals, both base and critical metals.”
“In this course you will learn how these metals are found in the Earth's crust in the form of ores, how and where different types of ores are formed and what methods are used to find and extract them in a sustainable way.”
Nils, industry is a central part of the green transition, what is the contact with companies?
“The education in exploration at Luleå University of Technology takes place in close cooperation with the mining and exploration industry, which is also one of the most important future employers for our students. Various examples are excursions to active mines and continuous guest lectures.”
“In the Mining Geology course, we have, for example, mine mapping exercises in active underground mines, and exercises and guest lectures in resource modelling with accredited experts from the industry.”
“Collaboration with industry is one of the strengths of our education. It gives students a good insight into the different work roles of graduate geologists. In addition, it helps us to keep the training up to date with the specific challenges and needs of industry.”
“Metals are found in most of the things we use in everyday life”
Jakob Kero, teacher at Sustainable Process and Chemical Engineering.
“I think it's important to make it clear that by choosing Sustainable Process and Chemical Engineering, you get an education that really makes a difference to the environment in society and globally.”
“The purpose of the program is to develop and improve the processes for producing metals and chemicals that are vital to the lives we live today. Metals are found in most of the things we use in everyday life. Is it important that these metals and chemicals are produced in a sustainable and fair way? It is by improving the production processes of metals and chemicals that you can influence how sustainably, efficiently and profitably these processes are run. Take responsibility, train as an engineer in sustainable process and chemical engineering and join us in addressing these challenges!”
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