NIC and HNUST Team Join Hands to Advance Integrated Reform in Mining Education, Science and Technology, and Talent Development

On March 30, the National Innovation Center for Efficient Development of Strategic Rare Metal Minerals (NIC) and Hunan University of Science and Technology (HNUST) held a signing ceremony for a cooperation framework agreement. Leveraging their respective strength to meet national strategic demands, both sides will explore the integrated development of education, science and technology, and talent sectors. Together, they aimed to establish a benchmark for the deep integration of education, innovation and industry chains.

Present at the event were He Fayu, Director of NIC, as well as Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of the NIC Operating Company; Zhang Wenbin, Deputy Director of NIC, Member of the Party Committee and Deputy General Manager of the NIC Operating Company; Cao Min, Director of the Science and Technology Division of the Hunan Provincial Department of Education; Jiang Lizhong, Party Secretary of HNUST; Xie Hui, Deputy Party Secretary of HNUST; and Zhou Hu and Yin Fengyu, Members of the University Party Committee and Vice Presidents of HNUST. Zhang Wenbin and Zhou Hu signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties.

Led by China Minmetals Corporation (China Minmetals), NIC was jointly established alongside 12 domestic universities, research institutes, and leading enterprises. Inaugurated in Changsha in January this year, it stands as China’s first national-level technological innovation center dedicated to mineral resources. The center is tasked with addressing critical national strategic needs, pioneering the green, intensive, and efficient development of advantaged mineral resources, and ensuring an independent, controllable supply of high-end raw materials for rare metals. It will take technical bottlenecks across the entire industrial chain of 17 strategic rare metals, conduct research on core technologies, and accelerate the  transformation and industrial application of scientific and technological achievements.

Jiang Lizhong introduced HNUST, noting that this signing ceremony marked a vital step toward executing the decisions of the Provincial Party Committee. It will drive comprehensive cooperation between the University and Changsha Institute of Mining Research, while advancing the pilot integrated reform of industry-education. Moving forward, HNUST will proactively engage with China Minmetals and its subsidiaries in Hunan. By leveraging its distinctive strengths, the University will provide premium services and intellectual support to further the integrated reform of education, science, and technology, thereby contributing to Hunan’s “Three Highs and Four New Missions” strategy and national mineral resource security.

He Fayu outlined NIC’s technology R&D, the transformation of research findings, platform building, and talent acquisition. He praised HNUST’s profound foundation in the mining field, expressing his commitment to earnestly executing the framework agreement. He stated that NIC would deepen high-level, wide-ranging cooperation with the university to accelerate the application and industrialization of technological achievements in Hunan, injecting fresh momentum into national mineral resource security strategies while co-building a robust innovation ecosystem.

According to the agreement, the two sides will center their efforts on R&D and the transformation of research findings related to the efficient development of strategic rare metal minerals. They will pursue deep cooperation in student cultivation, technological innovation, and talent introduction, fostering a collaborative innovation community between HNUST and NIC.

In terms of student cultivation, the two sides will jointly apply to establish a Hunan Provincial Training Base for top-tier innovative postgraduates, implement a dual-supervisor system, co-build internship and practical training bases, and pioneer an integrated industry-university-research-application talent cultivation model.

Regarding scientific and technological innovation, the two parties will share national, provincial and ministerial key laboratories and engineering research centers. They will jointly apply for major scientific research projects and awards at various levels and co-host high-level academic conferences. Notably, NIC will support HNUST in its preparations to establish the Shaoshan Deep Resources Industrial Technology Engineering Research Center, alongside establishing a regular personnel exchange mechanism.

For talent recruitment, both organizations will jointly attract high-level global talent, promising young academic leaders, and industry-leading professionals. They will promote two-way temporary assignments and part-time appointments between researchers and key technical staff of both organizations. Interdisciplinary innovation teams will be formed to tackle national strategic challenges, complemented by the joint establishment of a postdoctoral workstation.

Both sides stated that to guarantee the effective implementation of this partnership, they will maintain a regular liaison mechanism. This will ensure the seamless alignment of talent cultivation, technological innovation, and industrial development, ultimately providing valuable institutional experience for the integrated reform pilot.

(Translated by DU Ying and WU Xinyu)