Registration is OPEN

The Call for the 1st generation of PRO-SLO PhD school participants is officially open! From 15th October to 15th December, you can apply for participation on this link: PRO SLO 2025 Registration Link

All information about the PRO-SLO school programme, organisation and structure, learning outcomes, eligibility criteria and more can be found in the Open Call document uploaded below.

In case of any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at info@proslo.eu

PRO SLO ANNOUNCEMENTS - About the opening of the call

In the scope of EIT RawMaterials project PRO-SLO, we are soon opening the Call for applications for all PhD students interested in the topic of Social Licence to Operate (SLO). For this purpose, we have designed a specialized PhD education programme that will take place online and on-site. The online part, from 3rd to 7th February 2025, will be devoted to the basic SLO principles and terminology from various perspectives (legal, societal, ethical, environmental,..). The learning methodology will be interactive and will not take more than 3 hours per day. During the on-site part, from 7th to 11th of April 2025, taking place in Adriatic Metals, Vareš, Bosnia and Herzegovina, students will be assigned with a specific Case- Study for which they will have to develop a methodology to obtain SLO, with the support of academic and industry mentor. Between the two parts, in the interval period, online mentorship meetings will occur between lecturers and students to process the material from the online part and prepare better for the on-site part.

At the completion of PRO-SLO PhD school, the student will know and understand:

• • the concept, principles and business case for an SLO in the mining industry, and the risks involved in ignoring the importance of a social license;
• • the nature and dynamics of the stakeholder network, the role of social capital, and how to interact with communities to establish a legitimate SLO.

This PhD school/course will be at beginner level, meaning no previous knowledge or experience on the topic of SLO is needed. The students are also exempt from paying the participation fee.

The PRO-SLO school’s purpose is to foster a deep understanding of societal, ethical, and environmental issues related to raw materials, thereby contributing to more sustainable and socially responsible practices in the industry.