On October 18th, the opening ceremony of the joint international master’s program in metallurgical engineering, a collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, CNGR, and Central South University, was held at Central South University. The event was attended by Prahoro Yulijanto Nurtjahyo, Head of Human Resources Development Agency from the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, CNGR Chairman and CEO Deng Weiming, Guo Xueyi, member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President of Central South University, as well as relevant leaders from the Indonesian government, CNGR, and Central South University. They jointly witnessed the enrollment of the first batch of Indonesian students and conducted in-depth discussions on further cooperation among the three parties.

Following the Belt and Road Initiative, Joint Development with Indonesia

Though it was the first meeting, all three parties were full of confidence in this collaboration, holding discussions on future cross-national government-enterprise, government-university, and university-enterprise partnerships.

Prahoro Yulijanto Nurtjahyo expressed that this cooperation is a highly representative tripartite collaboration. Indonesia, being the world’s largest producer of nickel, has abundant metal resources, while Central South University is a leading institution in metallurgy and materials science globally, a fertile ground for talent development in the new energy sector. CNGR, as a leader in the new energy materials industry, possesses leading technological expertise and industrial scale. The cooperation between the three parties is set to become a hallmark of Sino-Indonesian industry-academia-research cooperation. He hopes this partnership will explore further collaboration opportunities to empower the development of the new energy industry in both China, Indonesia, and the world.

Deng Weiming mentioned that in response to the national Belt and Road Initiative and based on the assessment of the new energy industry’s development trends, CNGR officially began its global expansion in 2021. The company has invested in building four raw material production bases in Indonesia, with three already operational. CNGR successfully applied the oxygen-enriched side-blowing process for smelting laterite nickel ore, the first in the world to achieve industrialization, thus driving industrial cooperation between Indonesia and neighboring countries. Moving forward, CNGR will collaborate with the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Central South University to pave the way for a green, efficient, and sustainable development path, contributing wisdom and strength to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

International Collaboration in Industry, Academia, and Research, Building a Platform for High-Quality Local Talent Development

During the opening ceremony, Liao Hengxing, Senior Vice President and President of CNGR’s Indonesian Division, delivered a speech on behalf of the company. He stated that CNGR, together with the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources and Central South University, would create a new model for Sino-Indonesian cooperative education. Through this project, a group of professionals with an international perspective and expertise in metallurgical engineering and materials technology will be trained to contribute to the flourishing development of Indonesia’s metallurgy and new energy industries and inject new vitality into the global metallurgy and new energy materials industries.

Guo Xueyi, Vice President of Central South University, emphasized that as a key university in China, Central South University is committed to cultivating high-quality talent with an international outlook and professional abilities. This cooperation is not only an important practice in the internationalization strategy of Central South University but also a significant step in deepening educational cooperation between China and Indonesia, as well as promoting cultural exchange between the two countries. He hopes the Indonesian students will gain a deeper understanding of China and build a bridge of friendship between China and Indonesia.

According to the cooperation agreement, the joint training program will consist of three years of theoretical study combined with practical training in enterprises. This targeted and in-depth cooperation will primarily train Indonesian technical personnel, engineers from the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, and outstanding Indonesian employees from CNGR. Throughout the project, the three parties will leverage their strengths to jointly cultivate high-level talents in materials and chemical engineering with a focus on metallurgical engineering.

Joint Visit to the National Engineering Research Center for Heavy Metal Pollution Prevention and Control at Central South University

As a global new energy materials company driven by innovation, CNGR has always placed technological innovation and talent development at the core of its strategy. In addition to collaborations with key domestic universities such as Central South University, CNGR has also established deep partnerships with top local universities in Indonesia, such as Gadjah Mada University, this year.

The tripartite collaboration between the Indonesian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, CNGR, and Central South University not only strengthens the exchange of cutting-edge industry technologies with higher education institutions but also establishes a platform for high-quality local talent cultivation for CNGR’s global development. Through this platform, CNGR will join forces with more like-minded international partners to jointly promote the sustainable development of the global new energy industry.