KGHM Polska Miedź S.A. with the title of Patron of Education

KGHM received a special “Patron of Education” award at the Our Future Foundation Scholarship Gala at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The global leader of the mining industry was recognized for its commitment to educating young people and its pro-social programs for students, parents, and teachers carried in the Copper Belt and other regions.

“KGHM is focused on developing the youth by offering numerous programs for students and enabling them to pursue careers around the world. The company also runs the KGHM Polska Miedź Foundation, which was established to boldly pursue all initiatives aimed at supporting and developing local communities,” the laudation for the company’s award said.

“Investing in education is a key task for companies like KGHM. We focus on developing the competence and knowledge of the younger generation, who will shape our future in a short while. We run educational and scholarship programs, and strengthen students’ professional skills. We also cooperate with universities. We are a responsible economic leader that inspires and provides opportunities for young people from the beginning of their educational journey,” said Tomasz Zdzikot, the CEO of KGHM Polska Miedź S.A.

KGHM is committed to the development of science and supports important events that promote the development of new technological solutions. The company sponsors numerous industry and innovation conferences. For years, it has been involved in the Underground Mining School and has actively participated in the exchange of experience of scientists from the AGH University of Science of Technology, the Wrocław University of Technology, and the University of Wrocław, among other institutions.

KGHM is very much involved in cooperation with schools educating their students in professions that are important from the standpoint of employment at the company and with universities from all over Poland. Since 2018, the company has been running the program “Competent in the mining and metallurgical industry. KGHM - a key partner in vocational training.” KGHM is the sponsor of classes in 9 schools in the Copper Belt that educate in such vocations as underground mining technician, electrical technician, and operator of processing machinery and equipment. The participating students have the opportunity to attend classes conducted by KGHM specialists and to receive scholarships for top academic performance. KGHM is also providing specialized equipment to the schools it sponsors.

This year, KGHM launched a new educational program for secondary school students from the Copper Belt and the Lubuskie Province titled “Digital Future of Copper.” The project started with 8 participating schools The program is intended for students of secondary schools - technical schools with classes with an IT profile and high schools with science profiles - who are potential future IT students.

As part of its cooperation with universities, the company has purchased computer equipment and has become a sponsor of the KGHM Analytical Laboratory at the University of Zielona Góra. The laboratory is located in the newly constructed building of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Physics. The University has received over ten modern high-performance computer stations designed to perform extensive analyses of large data sets and build models and systems using artificial intelligence methods.

KGHM also encourages cooperation in and promotion of pro-social programs and training for residents, NGOs, and schools in the Copper Belt. All initiatives subsidized by the company are conducted within the KGHM Academy. Since 2020, more than 150 initiatives and programs have been implemented, such as the “School for Parents and Educators,” “Leader 100,” “Treasure Archipelago,” and “Power Star.” To date, about 40,000 people have benefited from those projects. The activities were carried out in more than 30 localities in the Dolnośląskie and Lubuskie Provinces.

KGHM intends to constantly modify the pro-social programs by supplementing them with, among other things, activities related to children’s safety and promotion of responsible behavior near water and in the mountains.

The company focuses on charitable activities, preventive health care, popularization of sports, as well as support for culture and science. KGHM employees are also highly involved in the implementation of social programs, taking part in numerous volunteer campaigns.