Stanford’s Jef Caers Leads Africa’s First Data Science and AI for Mineral Exploration Course: A New Era in Geoscience Education & Collaboration

From May 12–16, 2025, Professor Jef Caers (Stanford University & Mineral-X) led an intensive five-day course at Copperbelt University in Zambia, delivering Africa’s first program on Data Science and AI for Mineral Exploration. This pioneering initiative represents a significant milestone in the transformation of geoscience education across the continent.

The course is part of a broader collaboration between Stanford Mineral-X, KoBold Metals, Copperbelt University, and the University of Lubumbashi, which together launched a new Master’s program in Data Science and Exploration Geology. The program includes 10 fully funded scholarships for Zambian students, provided by KoBold Metals, and offers advanced training in data-driven mineral exploration techniques using cutting-edge tools and methodologies.

The course builds on the award-winning textbook Data Science for the Geosciences, co-authored by Caers with Lijing Wang and David Zhen Yin, and is modeled on the curriculum he teaches at Stanford.

The program welcomed participants from the University of Lubumbashi and the University of Kinshasa, including Professors Douxdoux Makutu and Pascal Mambwe Matanda, and accounted for collaboration from Professor Adam Simon (University of Michigan).

This initiative not only brings world-class geoscience education to Central Africa but also empowers regional talent to shape the future of mineral exploration through data, science, and innovation. It further underscores KoBold Metals’ commitment to community development in Zambia, going beyond investment to support homegrown geoscientific leadership and fostering innovation led by the country’s emerging geologists.