The 4th Metallurgical Engineering Symposium at IPN Zacatecas connects students and industry to discuss gold leaching, process optimisation, and emerging metallurgical practices.
Key facts
- The 4th Symposium of Metallurgical Engineering will take place on May 7–8, 2026, in Zacatecas City, with an average attendance of around 150 participants.
- Attendees include metallurgy students and professionals from the regional mining industry, offering strong opportunities for technical exchange.
- Molycop, through MCTech solutions, will participate as a sponsor and technical contributor, supporting education and industry engagement in a key mining region of Mexico.
Connecting metallurgical education with operational reality
Mexico remains one of the world’s most important gold producing regions, with Zacatecas hosting several operating mines that rely on efficient and well controlled metallurgical processes. Against this backdrop, the 4th Symposium of Metallurgical Engineering, hosted by the Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), provides an important forum for knowledge sharing between future metallurgists and industry practitioners.IPN is widely recognised as one of the leading public universities in the country, with a strong reputation for engineering and applied sciences. Events like this symposium play a critical role in preparing students not only with theoretical knowledge, but also with an understanding of how metallurgical principles are applied in modern processing plants.
“This type of event creates a valuable bridge between what students learn in textbooks and what actually happens in operating plants,” said Ezequiel Castillo, Junior Process Engineer at Molycop Mexico.
It helps future engineers understand why fundamentals matter when you start optimising real processes.
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A focused symposium with strong regional relevance
The symposium is a relatively small and focused conference, with an average of 150 attendees. While most participants are metallurgy students, the event also attracts professionals from the local mining industry—many of whom represent potential clients and collaborators.Zacatecas is home to several active mining operations, making the event particularly relevant for companies seeking to strengthen their technical presence in the region. While Molycop is widely known across the mining sector, the symposium provides an opportunity to increase awareness of the broader MCTech portfolio and the digital, process, and optimisation solutions it offers.
“Many people know Molycop for grinding media,” Castillo explained.
But fewer are familiar with the full range of process technologies and services available through MCTech. Events like this give us the space to explain that value more clearly.
Gold leaching processes: from fundamentals to optimisation
As part of the technical program, Molycop will deliver a presentation titled “Gold leaching processes: from fundamentals to optimisation”, scheduled for Friday, May 8 at 10:00 am, at the IPN Zacatecas campus.The presentation is designed to guide attendees through the core principles of gold leaching—including kinetics, reagent interactions, and operating variables—before connecting those fundamentals to modern optimisation approaches used in industry today.
“The fundamentals never go away,” said Castillo.
Even with advanced control systems and digital tools, understanding leach chemistry, mass transfer, and operating windows is still the foundation of good metallurgical performance.
By framing optimisation as an extension of sound fundamentals rather than a replacement for them, the session aims to give students a clearer picture of how performance improvements are achieved in practice.
Supporting education through practical sponsorship
As a public institution, IPN welcomes different forms of sponsorship and support. Contributions are not limited to monetary donations and can include practical items such as branded merchandise, which are often incorporated into welcome kits for attendees.For Molycop, this approach aligns well with its broader commitment to supporting education and professional development within the mining and minerals processing sector.
“Supporting students doesn’t always mean large budgets,” Castillo noted.
Sometimes it’s about visibility, accessibility, and being present in their learning environment.
By sponsoring the symposium, Molycop aims to contribute tangibly to the event while reinforcing its long term engagement with universities and young professionals.
Building long term value through engagement
Beyond a single presentation or event, participation in academic forums such as the IPN symposium reflects a longer term strategy: building technical relationships early and fostering a shared language between academia and industry.Students who gain exposure to real processing challenges, optimisation concepts, and industrial tools during their studies are better prepared to contribute once they enter the workforce. At the same time, industry benefits from graduates who understand both theory and practical constraints.
“When students see how metallurgical decisions impact recovery, cost, and stability, it changes how they think,” Castillo said.
That mindset is incredibly valuable when they later step into plant roles.
Strengthening presence in a key mining region
With Zacatecas continuing to play an important role in Mexico’s mining landscape, the symposium represents a timely opportunity for Molycop to strengthen its regional presence—not only as a supplier, but as a technical partner and knowledge contributor.Through technical presentations, sponsorship, and direct engagement with students and professionals, Molycop aims to reinforce its position as a company that supports the full lifecycle of metallurgical development—from the classroom to the processing plant.
As the mining industry continues to evolve, events like the 4th Symposium of Metallurgical Engineering highlight the ongoing importance of education, collaboration, and a strong connection between fundamental knowledge and operational excellence.
