This one-day, interdisciplinary symposium addresses urgent concerns surrounding critical minerals by bringing together postgraduate researchers, scholars, and professionals from the humanities, social sciences, arts, and museums to examine minerals as political and cultural agents.
The term ‘critical’ in our symposium title carries a triple meaning: 1) it refers to minerals deemed essential for renewable energy transitions; 2) it addresses the urgent environmental and political challenges tied to resource extraction and securitisation; 3) it signals a critical scholarly approach to the cultural and political knowledge of critical minerals. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this symposium aims to deepen the understanding of the geopolitical and environmental consequences of minerals, and to encourage more sustainable and ethical perspectives on the mineral foundations of our modern life.
This symposium is generously supported by the UCD College of Arts and Humanities (CAH), the UCD Humanities Institute, and Research Ireland through the Starting Laureate 'Minerals' project, organised by Dr Ge Tang & Katie Donnelly.
DATE AND VENUE: 7th November 2025, 8.30am-6pm, Humanities Institute