Guelph, Ontario, November 17, 2010 - Promoting environmental and governance practices that support sustainability is the aim of a new chair at the University of Guelph, funded by a $1-million gift from Kinross Gold Corporation. The chair will help translate research into meaningful partnerships, programs and initiatives that encourage sound environmental policy and practice at all levels.

The new chair is part of the University's BetterPlanet Project, a $200-million fundraising campaign to help improve the quality of food, environment, health and communities here and around the world.

Unlike traditional research chairs, the Kinross Chair in Environmental Governance will be held by a succession of high-profile experts in the field rather than by a single academic scholar.

Spending one or two semesters at University of Guelph, each chair will work with University and community partners to help develop innovative ways to address current and emerging environmental issues.

"This chair represents a significant step toward improving the health of our environment and quality of life around the globe," said University of Guelph president Alastair Summerlee.

"We need to move beyond the accumulation of scientific knowledge about the impact of human activity and move toward ensuring that governance practices exist to translate science into meaningful, effective policy and sustainable changes."

Summerlee added that working with Kinross on this initiative makes sense for U of G, which is recognized for environmental research and education programs. "Kinross has an excellent reputation for leadership in resource management and for its commitment to social responsibility. They share our vision of improving the planet by enhancing environmental responsibility."

U of G and Kinross joined forces in 2008 in a new education and research network to promote responsible natural resource management.

"Addressing the world's challenges requires new forms of collaboration and new global connections between citizens, government and industry," said Tye Burt, Kinross president and CEO. "Together, we share a great responsibility for ensuring that economic development does not come at a high environmental or social cost, and that new projects truly deliver positive net benefits to the communities they impact. This chair is a step towards achieving those goals."

Chair holders could include business leaders, government policy experts, applied academics or innovators in environmental governance. Among other things, they will work with community groups, undergraduate and graduate students, and private- and public-sector agencies in leading mobilization projects such as advocacy, workshops or seminars.

A search for the inaugural chair holder will begin immediately, and the position will be based in U of G's College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS).

"This will add a vibrant dimension to undergraduate and graduate studies, a quality of learning experience not found in a textbook," said CSAHS dean Kerry Daly.

"It will also enrich the intellectual conversation among experts both on and off campus and open new ways of mobilizing knowledge across institutions, corporations and governments to improve environmental practices within and beyond our borders."

About Kinross Gold Corporation:

Kinross is a Canadian-based gold mining company with mines and projects in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Russia, Ghana and Mauritania, employing approximately 7,000 people worldwide. Kinross' strategic focus is to maximize net asset value and cash flow per share through a four-point plan built on: delivering mine and financial performance; attracting and retaining the best people in the industry; achieving operating excellence through the "Kinross Way"; and delivering future value through profitable growth opportunities.

About the University of Guelph:

The University of Guelph is ranked as one of Canada's top comprehensive universities because of its commitment to student learning and innovative research. U of G is dedicated to cultivating the essentials for quality of life - water, food, environment, animal and human health, community, commerce, culture and learning. It also shares a profound sense of social responsibility, an obligation to address global issues and a concern for international development.