Register now! Critical Minerals Symposium
UCD Humanities Institute
Nov 7, 8:00 am–6:00 pm
Registration is now available for the Critical Minerals Symposium, to be held at the UCD Humanities Institute (Seminar Room 204), on 7 November 2025.
This one-day, interdisciplinary symposium addresses urgent concerns surrounding critical minerals by bringing together postgraduate researchers, scholars, and professionals from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and museums to examine minerals as political and cultural agents.
The term ‘critical’ in our symposium title carries a triple meaning: 1) it refers to minerals deemed essential for renewable energy transitions; 2) it addresses the urgent environmental and political challenges tied to resource extraction and securitisation; 3) it signals a critical scholarly approach to the cultural and political knowledge of critical minerals. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this symposium aims to deepen the understanding of the geopolitical and environmental consequences of minerals, and to encourage more sustainable and ethical perspectives on the mineral foundations of our modern life.
Keynote: Associate Professor Tom Nurmi (The Norwegian University of Science and Technology): ‘Quarry of Thought: Minerality and AI’
This symposium is generously supported by the UCD College of Arts and Humanities (CAH), the UCD Humanities Institute, and Research Ireland through the Starting Laureate ‘Minerals’ project.
Register here
