BENEFITS OF ACADEMIC COLLABORATION IN A MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT: STUDENT REACTION TO PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF MINERAL EXPLORATION; ROSEBEL GOLD MINE, EASTERN SURINAME

The Rosebel Gold Mine, Eastern Suriname, offers an opportunity for Students seeking careers in geology to gain practical experience while immersed in a multicultural environment. Students, local and expatriate, working for the regional exploration department of RGM, make contributions to the department, while at the same time augment their knowledge of geology. Students find the experience highly worthwhile, and collaboration between local and expatriate students is of benefit to both groups, as knowledge from divergent backgrounds is shared.

Suriname is a small country, with a population of less than 500,000, and a diverse cultural environment, consisting of Hindustani, Javanese, and Creole cultures. The predominant language spoken in Suriname is Dutch. Local university students are required to complete Bachelors' degree thesis projects as part of their education. Local technical school students are also required to complete practical training. RGM provides an environment for local students to work on projects related to their fields of interest, while at the same time, contributing to the mine. Expatriate students are also afforded the opportunity to work at the mine, and find working together with local students a valuable experience in the pursuit of geological and cultural knowledge.

Projects currently being carried out at RGM include a masters level thesis on stratigraphy by T. Watson of the University of North Carolina; A Bachelors' thesis study of geochemistry and gold dispersion in tropical weathering horizons by R. Rapprecht, of the Anton De Kom University of Suriname; and a comparison of geochemical sampling techniques in tropical weathering profiles by R. Wongsoseparto, and M. Ashruf of the Natural and Technical Institute of Suriname (NATIN). Other students, including one student from the Anton De Kom University, one student from the Richard Stockton college of NJ, and four students from NATIN are contributing to these projects, as well as other work at RGM. Students find work in the field of mineral exploration to be interesting, as it demands a strong knowledge base in all conventional fields of geology, and provides insight and experience therein. Additionally, students find collaboration on projects to be highly rewarding, and form professional and social bonds that will last throughout their careers.