The first stage of the PRO-SLO PhD School 2026 will be conducted ONLINE from 9th to 13th of February 2026, with lectures on the basic SLO principles and terminology from various perspectives, such as policy, societal, ethical and environmental and SLO examples related to the Raw Materials sector.
Below is a detailed programme of these classes.
After a very successful 1rst edition in 2025, the Call for student applications for the 2nd PRO-SLO PhD School, that is funded by EIT RawMaterials, is open!
From the 4th of November to the 15th of December 2025, students can apply for participation through the link: 2nd PRO-SLO PhD School Student Application
The School is a specialized education programme in the topic of Social Licence to Operate (SLO), comprising online and onsite parts, exclusively for PhD students in the field of raw materials, engineering, social, business, economic and environmental sciences.
The 2026 School edition comprises an online part, from 9th to 13th of February 2026, with lectures on the basic SLO principles and terminology from various perspectives, such as policy, societal, ethical and environmental and SLO examples related to the Raw Materials sector. During the onsite part, from the 19th to the 24th of April 2026, to be held in Kassandra Mines of Hellas Gold S.A in Greece, students will interact with stakeholders to develop a methodology to obtain SLO, with the support of academic and industry mentors. Between the two parts, in the interval period, from the 23rd of February to the 27th of March, students will work in groups and will be assigned with an SLO-related project with frequent online mentorship meetings.
At the completion of the PRO-SLO PhD school, students will know and understand:
The PhD School is beginner level; no previous knowledge and experience on the topic of SLO is needed. The students are also exempt from paying any participation fees.
All information about the PRO-SLO PhD School program, organisation and structure, learning outcomes, eligibility criteria and more can be found in the Call document. You can also observe PhD PRO-SLO School https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7391645877163032576
Please check your eligibility and apply now!
In case of any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at: christod@metal.ntua.gr
Congratulations to the 16 PhD Students who completed the three stages of the PRO-SLO PhD Winter/Summer School 2025.
On 27 June 2025, the entire group received certificates of completion from the PRO-SLO PhD School. The ceremony took place in Vareš, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where the third stage of the school was held.
We wish the graduates that the knowledge and experience they have gained will help them in their further scientific development and professional work.
THE NEXT EDITION OF THE SCHOOL WILL TAKE PLACE IN 2026.
We invite you to follow the information on our website and our LinkedIn profile
Classes will be held according to the following schedule.
The online part is finished.
Congratulations to all participants
The 2nd stage of the school follows from 17th February to 12th May. This is a “mentorship” period and group work on the variety of case studies related to the next step - on-site school in Vareš.
3rd and last stage of implementation – on-site school in Vareš, hosted by Adriatic Metals industry from 23rd to 27th June 2025.
Work in your groups and wait for emails with details about the next steps.
30 s the number of total participants in our school, comprising 15 women and 15 men.
The group includes citizens from 4 continents and simultaneously 15 countries. The most represented country is Greece - (6 participants). Pakistan is second (5 participants) and Croatia third (4 participants). The other participants represent the following countries: Germany, Poland, Serbia, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, India, Ghana, Jordan, Nigeria, Turkey and Uzbekistan.
Our participants come from doctoral schools located at universities in 10 countries. 6 are studying in Poland, 4 in Croatia, 4 in Greece and 3 each in Germany, Austria and Hungary. Other universities are in Estonia, Portugal, Serbia and Italy.
Our students represent a wide variety of scientific disciplines. They include specialists in Mining and Metallurgical Engineering - the most popular specialisations among our students. There are also graduates in intelligent geosystems, environmental engineering, sustainable energy systems, and others. It can be expected that this diversity of interests and scientific achievements of the participants will be a source of a broad exchange of experiences and will add value to all participants.
It promises to be an ambitious, innovative and scientifically stimulating time.
We start at the 3rd of February 2025.
The PRO-SLO PhD School is now accepting applications for its 2025 program, which will take place on line from February 3 th -7th 2025 -introductory course and on-site June 23rd to 27th. This unique educational opportunity focuses on tackling Social License to Operate (SLO) challenges within the raw materials sector—a field facing public opposition and ethical concerns. The program aims to train future leaders to navigate complex societal, ethical, and environmental issues in mining and raw materials industries.
Motivated PhD students with at least B2 level English proficiency who are eager to enhance their skills in addressing SLO challenges are encouraged to apply.The PRO-SLO PhD School is part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) educational program and is co-funded by the European Union.
For more information and to apply please visit: www.proslo.eu
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
to master the complex issues of a Social Licence to Operate (SLO), as currently many raw materials projects are severely delayed due to opposition from communities.