Network Composition
The network comprises six higher education institutions from four regions of the country (UFOP, UFOPA, UNILA, UFT, UFCG, and UFRGS) sharing convergent interests in research on mining and its socio-environmental impacts, in alignment with the Brazilian Mineral Policy and the National Mining Plan (PNM-2050).
The Federal University of Ouro Preto (UFOP), with historical roots in the School of Pharmacy (1839) and the School of Mines (1876), has established itself as a national benchmark in engineering education. The expansion and strengthening of graduate studies, intensified during the REUNI (Program to Support Restructuring and Expansion Plans for Federal Universities), enabled the growth and quality enhancement of these programs.
Over the last two four-year cycles, UFOP has been consolidating its graduate programs, demonstrating excellence in its core fields of expertise. Part of this progress stems from multidisciplinary work in the mining sector, including the development of clean technologies, dam monitoring sensors, environmentally friendly reagents, water treatment biotechnologies, and solutions for progressive mine closure, and the hosting of an EMBRAPII Sustainable Mining Unit. The university also possesses significant experience in responding to socio-environmental disasters, such as the collapse of the Fundão Dam (2015) in Mariana, thereby solidifying its engagement with the affected territories.
The Federal University of the West of Pará (UFOPA) has a recently established graduate program and serves as a reference point within the Legal Amazon for studies on mining and its effects on tropical forest areas and traditional populations. It conducts research on mining and its impacts on rivers and on Indigenous and riverine communities, as well as on environmental governance and social technologies for the restoration of degraded areas. Its location within the Amazonian context expands the network's territorial reach.
Through the PEEX International program (Integrated Program for International Research, Teaching, and Extension), UFOPA has taken significant steps in its internationalization policy, contributing to the strengthening of academic and scientific partnerships, the valuing of cultural diversity, and the promotion of the SDGs.
The Federal University of Campina Grande (UFCG) offers a well-established graduate program, particularly notable in Science and Technology, that was recognized by CAPES in 2025 to lead research in Computer Science and Information Security within the BRICS-NU network in Brazil. Regarding environmental issues, several UFCG programs conduct research aimed at mitigating environmental impacts associated with mining activities and the spread of aridity in Northeastern Brazil, featuring a strong technological and interdisciplinary component.
Furthermore, UFCG operates a training mine in the city of Santa Luzia, located in the *sertão* (semi-arid hinterland) of Paraíba, which will undoubtedly serve as a setting for the network's research and outreach activities.
The Federal University of Tocantins (UFT), currently consolidating its graduate programs, is increasingly active in the fields of mining and sustainability, particularly regarding the monitoring of environmental impacts on river basins and traditional communities in Tocantins. It conducts studies on the use of technologies for waste management and the rehabilitation of areas affected by extractive activities.
The Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), with its well-established graduate programs and a more mature internationalization profile, contributes through its strong foundation in engineering, geosciences, and materials science. It conducts cutting-edge research in geoprocessing applied to mining, geotechnical risk modeling, tailings valorization, and technologies for mining and the circular economy.
The Federal University for Latin American Integration (UNILA), which has possessed a distinctive international profile since its inception and has more recently established graduate programs, contributes critical and decolonial approaches, fostering South-South dialogue on the impacts of mining in Latin America.
A constituição dessa rede visa o estudo multidisciplinar e internacionalizado sobre os minerais críticos e estratégicos para o Brasil, o desenvolvimento sustentável na mineração via análise e proposição de medidas para integrá-la às políticas ambientais, sociais e territoriais.
Coordinating Institution
UFOP : Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [International Relations Office (DRI)]
* 🔬 [Research and Graduate Studies Office (PROPPI)]
Associate Institutions
UFOPA : Universidade Federal do Oeste do Pará
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [National and International Relations Office (ARNI)]
* 🔬 [Graduate Studies Office (ICS)]
UFCG : Universidade Federal de Campina Grande
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [International Relations Office (AAI)]
* 🔬 [Graduate Studies Office (PRPG)]
UFT : Universidade Federal do Tocantins
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [International Relations Office (DRI)]
* 🔬 [Research, Graduate Studies, and Innovation Office]
UFRGS : Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [International Relations Office (Relinter)]
* 🔬 [Graduate Studies Office (PROPG)]
UNILA : Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana
* 🌐 [Homepage]
* 🌍 [National and International Relations Office (PROINT)]
* 🔬 [Research and Graduate Studies Office (PRPPG)]