A graduate from the first cohort reflects on her time studying Mining Engineering at UBC and the path forward for alumni
When Anahita* first arrived at UBC alongside nine other newly admitted Afghan women from Kazakhstan, she came with a tremendous feeling of hope. They were all arriving as part of UBC Applied Science’s Female Scholars at Risk initiative (formerly, the Female Afghan Scholars initiative), which brings students facing displacement in their home countries to UBC to pursue graduate-level studies in Mining Engineering.
The project supports women who were hindered in their efforts to pursue their studies due to situations of armed conflict, disaster or other dangerous environments. Initially, this focused on 10 at-risk Afghan women studying mining in Kazakhstan who were connected to UBC through the Women Leaders of Tomorrow non-profit organization. The student visas that allowed them to study in Kazakhstan were about to expire, forcing them to return to Afghanistan where women are banned from pursuing higher education. The initiative has since opened up to women from other areas of the world who are facing similar restrictions on their learning.
“It was a huge dream for us that we were coming to Canada, arriving here at UBC,” says Anahita. “It was such a big honour that we received this opportunity.”
Female Scholars at Risk provides opportunities for women like Anahita to complete an advanced education in engineering. Helping these women requires specialized support to bring them into the country and get them set up with everything they need to succeed, including housing, advising and a designated academic supervisor.
After months of paperwork, follow-up and securing everything from housewares to student supplies, these 10 women arrived at UBC in 2022 to begin their work.
“We were treated like very special students, special scholars,” says Anahita. “It was such a special treatment for us that we never felt that we were in a new country, a new university, or that we didn’t know anything about the culture.”
Each student was paired with a faculty supervisor, who guided them in their academic opportunities and helped them find the right path for their areas of interest. The mining sector is broad and needs people with expertise in social sciences and policy as well as engineering. Some students chose to specialized in less technical areas, like community engagement or gender studies, while others explored more science-focused fields. Anahita’s focus was on water resource management and her thesis explored the impact of small-scale gold processing mining and the effects on local water resources.
Anahita’s supervisor, Dr. Nadja Kunz, was a source of support and encouragement who helped push her to realize her full potential as a scholar whose ideas could influence the industry and its sustainability. Dr. Kunz was an Associate Professor jointly appointed across the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs and the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, though she recently left the university to return to her home country of Australia.
Together, Anahita and Dr. Kunz worked on a project about water targets in mining, which Anahita then presented at a mineral processing conference in the United States. This was a big step academically for Anahita, who has a background in law and political science before she began studying mining in Kazakhstan, then at UBC.
“I had a few courses in mining in Kazakhstan,” says Anahita, “but I was not an expert to present a paper in front of the people at that conference. Dr. Nadja was like a superwoman for me. She made me able to go and talk in front of people who are experts in the topic.”
After completing her thesis, Anahita graduated with a Master of Applied Science in 2024. Six others from the original cohort have also graduated, and three have current roles in the mining industry as a Process Analyst, an Admin Assistant and a Technical Specialist in Hydrogeology. Two others have moved on in their graduate work to pursue PhDs. As a few of the original 10 scholars continue to work to complete their degrees, Anahita still meets with them. They share their struggles and help support each other when needed.
“I have experience going through my thesis writing, and I can offer my support,” says Anahita. “Or if they have any questions that are not clear to them, that they don't want to go to the department for. If they need me, I'm here to share my experience.”
That includes helping to grow their networks and meeting with other UBC alumni, connections that are vital when looking for work in the mining industry. After leaving UBC, Anahita worked as a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Student intern for Teck, then as a mining specialist at Vizsla Silver. But in the tough economic market, she’s still looking for a permanent role.
Meanwhile, a new cohort of Scholars has begun to arrive at UBC. Two arrived this fall and one more is scheduled to begin in January. The smaller cohort means the initiative is more sustainable in the long term.
With the challenges in securing international student visas and increased living expenses, the cost of bringing at-risk students to UBC has risen substantially. The arrival of the first 10 Scholars was an emergency effort financially supported by the mining industry, private donors and UBC Applied Science. Now, more funding is needed if the initiative is to grow and continue to aid students with tuition fees, housing, moving costs, furnishings and more.
In addition, access to industry learning opportunities would help these women as they transition into the Canadian job market post-graduation.
“I have a very technical background, but I don’t have a job because one year of experience is not enough,” says Anahita.
That’s where the mining community can step in to help, as they did with the arrival of the initial group of 10 women. To continue to support women in the Female Scholars at Risk initiative and grow diversity in the mining community, UBC welcomes support through donations or through job opportunities for new grads like Anahita, who are eager to get a foot in the door.
“I have a lot of friends from the mining department,” says Anahita, “and I have good connections. I really want to be engaged in the mining industry.”
The Faculty of Applied Science would like to thank Sandstorm Gold, Wheaton Precious Metals, Teck, Pan American Silver, Ocean Partners, the Resource Capital Funds Foundation and all of those in the mining community who gave their support to the Female Scholars at Risk initiative.
Special thanks to Jody Swift, UBC Applied Science’s Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, who was a key organizer in ensuring everything was in place when the first students arrived, and to Natasha Nobell, UBC’s Assistant Director of Global Partnerships and Faculty Relations.
Additional thanks to Friba Rezayee, Founder and Executive Director of Women Leaders of Tomorrow.
*Name has been altered to protect their private identity.
**Photos included do not depict the individual featured in this article.