In January, Kinross Gold was proud to partner once again with the Goodman School of Mines at Laurentian University as the title sponsor of the 2026 Goodman Gold Challenge!

The Challenge presents a unique opportunity for undergraduate students from across eight North American universities to participate in a series of challenges that evaluate three existing companies and their investment potential. This year’s challenge had students analyze First Mining Gold, New Found Gold and STLLR Gold Inc., and prepare a real-world business proposal for a panel of judges recommending which company would make for the strongest investment decision based on key data and analytics.

Agung Prawasono, Senior Director, Mine Planning, Toronto, represented Kinross on the panel of judges who evaluated the student’s proposals and participated in selecting the winning team. 

Congratulations to Queen’s University who received first place in the Challenge for their pitch on investing in STLLR Gold Inc.! Runner ups in the Challenge included University of British Columbia for their pitch on First Mining Gold and McMaster University for their pitch on New Found Gold, who placed second and third respectively.

Kinross is proud to share that two of our former interns received top scores in the Challenge – first, Joey Cuzzetto, a former Professional Engineer Year (PEY) student at our corporate headquarters, who was on the first place team, Queen's University, and Jay Gosai, a former intern at our Bald Mountain mine in Nevada and a Mining Engineering Student at Laurentian University who was recognized with the Judges’ Choice Award, a meaningful acknowledgment of his team’s work and analysis.

On the final day of the Challenge, Agung presented at the closing ceremony where he provided an overview of Kinross, a history of our strong partnership with Laurentian University, and spoke to his journey in the mining industry and the benefits of a career in mining.

“The students in this room represent the best and brightest undergraduates in your respective programs and the next generation of thought leaders with the potential to make a tangible, positive impact on the industry,” said Agung. “Wherever your professional life leads you, I hope you continue to pursue excellence the way you have at this Challenge, and that one day, you will be up here delivering this address to the next generation of miners.”

Check out photos from the 2026 Goodman Gold Challenge below!