A delegation of 13 young people sponsored by Newmont emphasized the inclusion of women, the importance of public policies, and the involvement of humanities careers as key aspects of the event.

PERUMIN Jóvenes was a celebration of knowledge, talent, networking, and mining that took place on October 29 and 30. This was a unique event, hosted by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), brought together over 400 young people from 15 regions, 25 universities, and more than 50 companies in the mining ecosystem, including Newmont.

The delegation sponsored by Newmont was made up of 13 students and graduates from the National University of Cajamarca and the Private University of the North - Cajamarca campus. Their leader, Gisela Chávez Coronado, aged 21, is in her tenth cycle of sociology studies, and her experience at PERUMIN Jóvenes met her expectations.

"Our delegation consisted of 13 members from a variety of professional backgrounds. We have undergraduate and graduate students in law, sociology, economics, geology, and environmental engineering," she explained. In her view, humanities professionals are also relevant to the sector because they deal with culture and social development.

"People think that mining only requires mining or environmental engineers, and that’s not true. We need communicators, sociologists, and lawyers because you need professionals from different disciplines to carry out a project, not only for regional development but also for the progress of the country. So, we have a holistic vision for the sector," she said.

Commenting on the event, Chávez said that thanks to PERUMIN Jóvenes, she was able to find colleagues in her field who shared the same interest in mining. She also made professional contacts with other environmental engineering and law students.

"Another thing I want to highlight is that I saw many women at an event where you might expect to find only male engineers. As Homar Lozano, president of the event, pointed out, having 40% female attendees is really positive and exceeded my expectations," she said.

On the other hand, Linked Carrera Reyes, who is a senior mining engineering student, emphasized that several panels discussed the importance of public policies, which she considers essential for the development of mining projects. "It’s important to send the message to young people to get involved in public and corporate policies, not just in office work," she stated.

She also pointed out that the presentations at the event focused on social management and territorial development. "Territorial development is a topic that is well addressed in my region because the canon, royalties, and investment have not led to ‘constructive improvements,’ and that’s due to poor territorial planning. Darío Zegarra mentioned in his book that territorial development should involve the state, society, and private companies," she said.

Both students thanked the president of the IIMP, Darío Zegarra, for his efforts to ensure that the delegation could attend the first PERUMIN Jóvenes in Lima.

In this regard, they suggested holding another edition of the event in a different region in order to decentralize it. "I’m sure many young people in the provinces would be interested in attending and having a unique experience like the one I had in Cajamarca at PERUMIN Jóvenes," said Linked Carrera.