Cristovam Paes de Oliveira

Abstract:

The Gorceix Foundation was created in 1960 when a group of former students of the Ouro Preto School of Mines felt the need to create a foundation that could support economically challenged students of this school and contribute to the scientific and technological development of the mining sector. That time the Ouro Preto School of Mines was one of the academic units of the University of Brazil and had gained a high degree of emancipation. 

The foundation today has 9 departments and operates in the areas of social support, academic support, science, and technology with goals that coincidentally fits the three criteria of FLOGEN Sustainability Framework (1) Environmental protection, (2) Economic growth and (3) Social Development. Its activity also identifies with its three pillars/actors of the above framework: (1) Science and Technology (2) Education and Civil Society and (3) Government and management.  

As a Science and Technology actor of the Sustainability Framework the Foundation carries out projects that (1) provide solutions to scientific and technological problems in mining, mineral processing and metallurgy (2) develop innovative solutions for the processing of numerous ores in Brazil and other countries such as Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Mexico, and (3) manage and treat residues to mitigate the environmental impact of the operations. Specifically in metallurgy, it has helped develop and provide efficient solutions in pellet production and energy efficiency in steelmaking and non-ferrous metals processing for prominent Brazilian companies. In oil and gas industry it offers constant technological support to for Petrobras (the national oil and gas industry in Brazil) with a team of high-level researchers in Ouro Preto and are connected 24/7 with the team in Rio de Janeiro, analyzing and processing geophysical data as it is captured in the field with the goal to make oil and gas discovery more efficient and its processing the least polluting possible. These projects are developed by professors and researchers of its own personnel as well as with personnel of the Federal University of Ouro Preto, to which the School of Mines belongs today, and of many other distinguished universities, research centers and production companies in Brazil. It partners also with the biggest companies in the mineral, metallurgical and O&G sectors, including contracts with Vale, Samarco, and Petrobras and other companies in the ore processing area. 

As a Science and Technology Actor the Foundation activity fulfills the 3 criteria of sustainability since it helps protect the environment, assure efficient economic growth and assure social development all through developing efficient technologies. 

As an Education and Civil Society actor of the Sustainability Framework the Foundation offers academic and professional training and is in possession of the most prominent education program in Latin America for in-company technical courses in the mining and metallurgical sector, as well as in O&G, sanitation, and automotive sectors. The courses range from geology to the final product and include subjects like maintenance, mining unit operations, ore processing, metallurgy, geotechnical engineering, asset management, sustainability and even data science. In addition to that, the Foundation offers also tailor-made short-term courses to almost ten thousand industry professionals, on specific topics amongst those mentioned above. The goal of these programs is to educate the young generation as well as to provide continuous educations to achieve simultaneously the (1) Environmental protection, (2) Economic growth and (3) Social Development.

As a government and management actor the foundation management develops and manages various policy programs that can help achieve the three criteria of sustainability. Furthermore, in fulfillment of social development criterium, the foundation provides different types of assistance to students and researchers ranging from basic needs assistance grants to scientific initiation and academic merit scholarships.

Today, the Foundation is creating a new technology park focused on the mineral sector. Several companies have already announced their intention to open laboratories in this park new facility to develop research, in partnership with the Foundation.