In recent years, addressing the shortage of engineering professionals, including geologists and mineral deposit developers, has become a top priority for the development of Russia’s extractive industry. According to Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade, the industry requires thousands of professionals, particularly in Siberia and the Far East, yet supply fails to keep pace with demand. This shortage of engineers affects the pace of project execution.
Major mining companies are making substantial efforts to attract young talent to the industry, participating in career guidance for school students and collaborating with specialized colleges and universities. The current approach focuses on engaging younger generation in practical activities from the early stages of their education, and on demonstrating that engineering is both a technical and an intellectual pursuit.
This session aims to reframe the dialogue with the younger generation (Gen Z) about career choices by speaking their language - unlocking the creative, interdisciplinary, and international potential of a career in geology. Today it is important to draw the attention of future professionals to socially significant challenges. Therefore, the art project exhibition Russia: The Power of Natural Resources aims to display the country’s natural wealth and illustrate how a geologist’s work is deeply connected with exploring and preserving natural heritage.
The key object of this project is to enhance the prestige of the profession by presenting it from an unexpected perspective. We are convinced that it is crucial to find common ground with the career expectations of young people, demonstrating how this rigorous technical discipline integrates science, art, and history, while also inspiring participants to perceive the cause-and-effect relationships that shape the world around them.
Geology is not only about the subsoils, but also about cultural codes, aesthetics, and global interconnections. The project goes beyond the discussion of Russia's mineral wealth, embracing the aesthetic and geographical diversity of BRICS partner nations. This will highlight the importance of finding common ground and mutual understanding beyond cultural differences, broadening the way the geologist is perceived. Through the synthesis of art and science, we demonstrate the uniqueness and grandeur of Russia and its international partners, creating a vision of a unified, powerful space for the development and professional fulfillment of young professionals.