Mr. Mark Sumaden and Mr. Kirk Justin S. Ramos participated in the Short Stay Program on Sustainable Resource Development from June 16 to July 8, 2026, organized by the International Center for Research and Education on Mineral and Energy Resources (ICREMER) at Akita University in Akita, Japan. The program aimed to provide participants with an overview of the technical, economic, and environmental issues related to the research, development, and management of sustainable mineral and energy resources. They were among 22 participants from 14 universities across 11 countries, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia, and Kenya.
Over the course of three and a half weeks, the participants attended lectures and laboratory classes covering a broad range of topics, including international relations, governance, geology, environmental chemistry, petroleum geology, mineral processing and economics, rock mechanics, energy, recycling and extractive metallurgy, and petroleum and geothermal engineering, among others. The sessions were delivered by faculty members and researchers from Akita University with expertise in their respective fields. In addition, the participants joined field excursions to mineral processing, recycling, and neutralization facilities in Akita Prefecture, where they gained firsthand insights into Japan’s integrated approach to sustainable resource management, from resource extraction and processing to recycling and waste treatment.
As part of the program, the participants were grouped and tasked to develop and deliver a presentation addressing a contemporary issue in sustainable resource development. Mr. Sumaden and Mr. Ramos delivered their group’s presentation titled, “Dirty Copper Ores in Southeast Asia: Opportunities for Clean Energy Transition”. The presentation explored the opportunities and challenges associated with utilizing complex copper ores to support the growing demand for critical metals needed in the global transition toward clean energy technologies.