Europe needs more experts to master the complex issues of a Social License to Operate (#SLO) as currently many raw materials projects are severely delayed due to severe opposition from communities.
Coordinated by the RIC Leoben Education team, an alliance of experts on the topic of SLO from research, universities and industry designed a tailored PhD school, based around challenges provided by the industry, facilitated by innovative teaching/learning methods.
During 2025, the first edition of the course was held in a hybrid format. In February, students attended online lectures that introduced them to the basic principles and terminology of SLO from various perspectives, such as politics, society, ethics, and the environment, as well as examples of SLO. Finally, in June, the mining company Adriatic Metals invited students to spend a week on site in an active mining community in Vareš (Bosnia and Herzegovina), where they were able to interact with various stakeholders to develop a methodology for achieving SLO, supported by academic and industrial mentors.
The second edition of the PhD school is underway, split into three phases:
1. Online Phase (Virtual Week: 9 to 13 February 2026)
2. Case Study Phase (23 February to 27 March 2026)
3. Onsite School at Hellas Gold S.A. (19 to 24 June 2026, Chalkidiki, Greece)
Impressions from the first term, with images from Vareš , Bosnia-Herzegovina:
Further details under: https://www.proslo.eu/