Shaping the future of geology

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) is the largest university in southeastern Europe and is widely recognised as a vibrant centre of learning, playing a key role in advancing scientific knowledge on an international scale.

The Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology in the School of Geology focuses on ore mineral characterisation, petrological analysis and ore deposit research. 

It collaborates with national and international institutions, including the National University of Athens and universities in Lorraine (France), Erlangen and Aachen (Germany). Together, they work on innovative approaches for mineral exploration, improving environmental sustainability in mining, and applying artificial intelligence to geological modelling and prediction. 

Departmental research currently focuses on mineral-rich northern Greece. This district is an emerging mining hub, with significant reserves of base, precious and rare metals, including placer, orogenic gold and antimony, world-class porphyry–copper and carbonate replacement lead–zinc deposits.

In response to increasing demand for computer skills in mineral exploration, the Department has reformed its courses, particularly the Masters programs. Maptek Vulcan is now an essential component of coursework in economic geology, mineral exploration and geostatistics. 

Vulcan plays a crucial role in enhancing scientific knowledge of several deposits through student theses and practical work. Students gain hands-on experience in 3D modelling, block modelling and resource estimation applied to real-world mining scenarios.

Assistant Professor at AUTH, Grigorios Aarne Sakellaris currently supervises 11 undergraduate theses focused on 3D geological modelling of various types of deposits.

‘We have already received new requests for the upcoming academic year. Since introducing Vulcan four years ago, the number of students in the Mineral Resources and Environment Masters program has grown significantly, with 10 students currently enrolled in the first year,’ said Sakellaris.

The benefits to students of using Maptek software extend far beyond learning to navigate a 3D environment. 

‘We are excited to attract new graduates with fresh ideas and computer programming skills, particularly in implementing AI for mineral prediction in 3D environments,’ concluded Sakellaris.

Consistently positive feedback suggests that students refresh their knowledge of statistics and also gain hands-on experience with geostatistical applications. They develop a deeper understanding of natural deposit formations, structural geology and geophysics. 

By bridging academic research with practical applications in mineral exploration, Vulcan provides vital skills that are directly applicable to the industry.

Several MSc graduates from AUTH have successfully transitioned into the mining industry in northern Europe, where they have established a professional community. 

For example, MSc geologist Spyridon Stroggylis used Vulcan for exploration targeting in a gold-endowed belt in eastern Finland, combining 2D geostatistical interpolation methods for surface geochemical data with detailed 3D geological modelling. 

‘The skills and expertise I gained allowed me to advance in mineral prospectivity mapping. This ultimately led to work for a mining consultancy in Germany, where I contributed to epithermal Au–Cu projects,’ he said.

Maptek is committed to providing value to all students through its university partnerships program. 

Thanks to
School of Geology
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki