PRO-SLO PHD WINTER/SUMMER SCHOOL 2025 COMPLETED

The third and final stage of the PhD School on Social Licence to Operate (SLO) took place from 23 to 27 June 2025.

This part aimed to translate theoretical knowledge into practice by engaging with diverse stakeholders and addressing real-world challenges.

This part of the PhD school allowed students to develop practical insights into the dynamics of Social License to Operate (SLO) and apply it in a local context through direct interaction with affected communities.

During the final stage, students analysed economic, social and ethical aspects in the mining and raw materials sectors, using the example of Adriatic Metals' investment in Vareš, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Based on cooperation with company representatives and its stakeholders, they analysed the course of cooperation, ways of solving problems and building everyday relationships with stakeholders. The results of their work were four projects, which they presented on the last day of the training:

• • Team 1: Vulnerable groups within the local population
• • Team 2: Stakeholders with livelihoods potentially affected by mining activities
• • Team 3: Residents in close proximity of mining sites
• • Team 4: Project-Dependent Secondary Beneficiaries

At the very beginning, 30 doctoral students were enrolled. Ultimately, 16 people completed all three stages. On 27 June, they received certificates of completion for the PhD Winter/Summer School 2025.

PRO-SLO PHD SCHOOL ON-SITE: 23RD TO 27TH JUNE 2025, VAREŠ, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

The third and final stage of the PhD Winter/Summer School will take place offline in Vareš on 23-27 June 2025.

During this time, participants will summarise their work on the projects from part B. They will then continue to develop their skills in the area of PRO-SLO. At the same time, they will build relationships with other participants and learn about the culture and industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

MENTORSHIP PERIOD - COMPLETED

The second stage of the PhD Winter/Summer School has ended. It was a mentorship period and group work on various case studies.

The students worked in five groups on the following project topics:

• [1] Geography and history of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its link to the social license to operate
• [2] Image and legacy of Raw Material industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• [3] Main socio-economic challenges in Bosnia and Herzegovina that affect stakeholders' opinions
• [4] Social-environmental conflict in the Raw Material sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina
• [5] Legislation - from mining to environmental permits.

Students will present the results of their work on the first day of the third part of the PhD Winter/Summer School in Vareš (23 June 2025).

1ST PRO-SLO PHD SCHOOL – ONLINE WEEK SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED

The first stage of the 1st PhD school on the topic of Social licence to operate has been successfully implemented! From 3rd to 7th February 2025, students enjoyed 15 different lessons provided by university experts on SLO. Each lesson was interactive and engaging, enabling students to be active participants, ensuring enough space for discussions, exchanging of fresh ideas and providing their views on certain SLO aspects, especially when mimicking real-life scenarios.

SLO topic, quite often viewed as complex and even difficult to define, was approached holistically through legal, ethical, environmental, social and other aspects and applied to the Raw Materials sector. Due to this inclusive approach, students new to the Raw Materials field were able to follow easily and receive up-to-date information.

We have enjoyed various interesting discussions and new conclusions on:

• Megatrends
• Image and Legacy of the RM industry
• SLO in RM sector
• Social-environmental conflicts
• Stakeholders and identification of their objectives
• International SLO frameworks and interaction with policy and regulatory environments
• Effective communication skills
• Ethical aspects of SLO
• Negotiations
• Mediation
• Social research methodology
• How to organise a project (to address an SLO challenge)
• Cooperation with organisations, e.g. environmental NGOs
• How to pitch an idea?
• Evaluation of SLO implementation

A special highlight of the week was certainly an interview with prof. Kristina Sehlin MacNeil – an associate Professor and a Researcher/Deputy Director at Várdduo and the Co-Director for FADC, discussing the relationships between extractive industries and indigenous people.

Looking forward to the 2nd stage of the school, which follows from 17th February to 12th May, which is a “mentorship” period and group work on the variety of case studies related to the 3rd and last stage of implementation – on-site school in Vareš, hosted by Adriatic Metals industry from 23rd to 27th June 2025.

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 23rd to 27th of June 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.