Message from Dean of Engineering
It is my distinct pleasure to welcome you to COSMO - Stochastic Mine Planning Laboratory at McGill University.
A major strategic priority for McGill Engineering is academic renewal through aggressive global recruitment of top talent. As such, I congratulate Professor Dimitrakopoulos, an internationally respected mining expert lured from Australias University of Queensland, for his success in partnership with leading global mining companies and the government of Canada, contributing to the formation of COSMO. Continuing, deliberate growth of our Facultys graduate education programs is evidence of our commitment to strengthening research initiatives. Labs like this one contribute significantly to these advances by attracting top graduate students.
Using mathematical models to factor uncertainties into planning of mining operations results in an increase in the value as compared to conventional methods. Even more impressive are the important environmental benefits to be generated by using this model. This measure of success is due in large part to cooperation with researchers from disciplines beyond Mining Engineering, including Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Geosciences, and Management reminding us that modern engineers must work closely with colleagues with expertise in different areas.
Industry involvement with COSMO adds tremendous value to our teaching and research programs through co-op work terms, advisory and support roles such as we see here, a steady supply of real-world challenges requiring solutions, and much more.
With its strong industry partnerships, interdisciplinary and inter-institutional collaboration, the lab will be increasingly used as a model for research in McGill Engineering. Its international scope clearly demonstrates McGills global reach and its research stretches beyond geographical borders to address issues of planetary importance.
I would like to end by thanking our industry partners and the Canadian government for their generous support and faith in our vision.
Christophe Pierre
Dean, Faculty of Engineering