Hemant Soren visits Imperial College London, discusses collaboration on critical minerals

Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Saturday visited the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College London as part of Jharkhand’s international engagement on critical minerals, advanced research and clean energy technologies.

During the visit, the Chief Minister toured key laboratories and interacted with faculty members and researchers working in mineral processing, advanced materials and nuclear-linked research.

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Experts including Professor Stephen Neethling, Professor Mark Wenman, Professor Mark Sephton, Professor Mukesh Kumar of Cambridge University and Dr Surya Kumar Singh briefed the delegation on ongoing work in mineral beneficiation, materials science, nuclear engineering and advanced sensing technologies.

Laboratory demonstrations highlighted modern techniques in mineral characterisation, processing optimisation, modelling and imaging, showing how early-stage scientific research can be translated into industrial-scale applications.

Discussions focused on how such technologies could assist resource-rich states like Jharkhand in moving beyond raw mineral extraction towards value addition and stronger participation in the critical minerals value chain.

Addressing the gathering, Hemant Soren said Jharkhand was working to build a research and development–driven industrial ecosystem aligned with a just and future-oriented development approach. He emphasised the importance of global academic and institutional partnerships to support sustainable mining practices, clean energy transition and industrial decarbonisation.

Faculty members outlined Imperial College London’s interdisciplinary approach, integrating earth sciences, materials engineering, computational modelling and policy studies to address complex challenges related to mining and clean energy.

The visit also included preliminary discussions on establishing a Centre of Excellence in Jharkhand in the field of critical minerals and mining sciences, aimed at strengthening technical capacity and skill development.

Officials said the engagement reaffirmed Jharkhand’s intention to pursue long-term collaboration with leading international institutions in areas such as research exchange, technology development and institutional capacity-building.

The visit is being seen as a significant step towards positioning Jharkhand as an emerging hub for critical minerals, advanced manufacturing and sustainable industrial growth.