Master Lectures
This space will bring together renowned national and international experts to share their knowledge and experience in mining exploration, geoscience and resource management, giving attendees the opportunity to learn directly from leaders and references in the sector.
Juan Arrieta
Gerente de Geología de Vicuña Corp.
Alan Wilson
President of the Society of Economic Geologists
Zhaoshan Chang
Professor, Geology and Geological Engineering
Christopher Keane
Director Geoscience Profession and Higher Education in the American Geosciences Institute
Osvaldo Miguel Rabbia
Associate Professor at the Institute of Applied Economic Geology of the University of Concepción (Chile)
History and Geology of the Vicuña District
By: Juan Arrieta
Juan Arrieta will present a comprehensive review of more than two decades of sustained mineral exploration carried out by the Lundin Group team in Argentina. The presentation will trace the company’s journey from its early beginnings to the present day, highlighting the key milestones that shaped the evolution of its exploration strategy.
The talk will include the location and regional context of the projects that make up the Vicuña District, as well as a summary of the technical work that led to the major mineral discoveries. It will also provide an overview of the geological models, identified mineral resources, comparative deposit sizes, and the key factors that explain the company’s long-term value creation.
Cu–Au Porphyry Systems: Diversity, Controls, and Discovery
By: Alan Wilson
Alan Wilson will present a review of the fundamental tectono-magmatic processes that control the generation of fertile magmas and the formation of copper-gold porphyry deposits in the upper crust. The presentation will examine the geodynamic settings in which these systems develop, including island arcs, continental arcs, and certain post-collisional orogens, where such deposits represent a major global source of critical metals.
Using well-documented examples of Cu–Au porphyry deposits worldwide, the talk will analyze similarities and contrasts in intrusive architecture, hydrothermal alteration styles, and mineralization types that control ore formation. These observations will serve as a basis to discuss their implications for exploration targeting and to evaluate how adapting exploration strategies and tools can help improve discovery outcomes and success rates.
Vision and Change for Geoscience Education in a Rapidly Transforming Geoscience Sector
By: Christopher M. Keane
Christopher M. Keane will address the growing challenges facing the geosciences in a context of profound scientific, technological, and societal transformation. The presentation will examine how the sector must respond to responsible mineral and energy resource development, sustainable water management, natural hazard mitigation, and climate change, while fully considering social, political, and economic environments.
Within this framework, Keane will present the scope and outcomes of the initiative Vision and Change in the Geosciences: The Future of Undergraduate Geoscience Education, a multi-year effort funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation that involved more than one thousand geoscientists from academia, industry, and the public sector. This strategy proposes a transformation of geoscience education through the integration of core concepts, technical skills, and transferable competencies, with the goal of strengthening the intellectual and scientific agility of new generations in the face of a rapidly evolving professional and technological landscape.