Leading European universities open the doors to host the Raw Materials University Days 2021

University of Milano-Bicocca, Kaunas University of Technology, Riga Technical University and UiT, the Arctic University to host Raw Materials University Days 2021

EIT RawMaterials Academy is pleased to announce that the University of Milano-Bicocca, Kaunas University of Technology, Riga Technical University and UiT, the Arctic University (subject to the accession of Norway to Horizon Europe), have been selected to host Raw Materials University Days in 2021. Building on the massive success of the virtually delivered Raw Materials University Days in 2020, EIT RawMaterials Academy decided to continue to support partners to deliver these events online. The first event was hosted by the University of Milano-Bicocca on 27 May.

The overarching objective of the Raw Materials University Days is to raise awareness of the significance of raw materials in modern life and also to demonstrate their relevance to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. These interactive online events will illustrate to prospective Master students the necessary higher education pathways, including EIT-Labelled programmes, leading to meaningful and exciting careers that innovate the raw materials sector across the entire value chain, in industry, academia and research, but also as entrepreneurs and creators of start-ups.

Since 2017, 19 Raw Materials University Days events have taken place at 19 partner universities in 13 countries across six Innovation Hubs.

University of Milano-Bicocca welcomed 90 students for the first Raw Materials University Day 2021

On 27 May, the University of Milano-Bicocca hosted the first Raw Materials University Day 2021, an online meeting to raise students’ awareness on the economic, social, and scientific importance of sustainable use of raw materials in our society. More than 90 students joined the event, which was organised as experts’ roundtable followed by thematic sessions to highlight educational and career opportunities in the raw materials sector. During the roundtable, professors from the University of Milano-Bicocca and researchers from the CNR (National Research Centre in Italy) debated with industry professionals (ERION, Tree and the spin-off Graftonica) on challenges linked to the European Green Deal, including innovative materials for the energy transition, recycling and valorisation of electronic waste, the role of academia in future education. The thematic sessions illustrated the opportunities in education and business creation provided by EIT RawMaterials.