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2020/21 Highlights
MESSAGE FROM THE HOD
This edition of the Department of Mining Engineering’s annual review is published at a time that the Department is celebrating 60 years of excellence in mining engineering education, which will culminate in the 60-year celebration dinner of the Mining Alumni Society of the University of Pretoria (MASUP) on 5 March 2022. Despite the ongoing challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of social distancing protocols on teaching and learning, the Department still achieved several milestones during the period under review.
One of the elements of the Department’s strategic intent is to strengthen the University’s research and international profile. That was achieved with the ranking of the University of Pretoria in the top 50 universities in the world for minerals and mining engineering in the 2020/21 QS World University Subject Rankings. We are exceptionally proud of this achievement, which is an indication of the success of the Mining Footprint initiative at the University of Pretoria, in which research related to minerals and mining engineering is taking on an increasingly transdisciplinary nature, spanning different departments and faculties at the University.
Another important form of recognition that the Department received from industry was the awarding of the South African Mining, Extraction, Research, Development and Innovation (SAMERDI) Research Centre in Mechanised Mining Systems to the University of Pretoria by the Mandela Mining Precinct. This research centre will be managed as a multidisciplinary initiative in collaboration with the Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering to further stimulate research activities in South Africa’s mining industry, which will boost the economy and contribute to the sustainability of the industry.
Since my appointment as Head of Department in 2007, it has been my aim to visibly align the Department’s educational and research objectives with industry needs. In the process, the Department has achieved several highlights that are contributing to its celebration of 60 years of excellence.
The Department’s excellent relationships with its industry partners led to the establishment of the Kumba Virtual Reality Centre for Mine Design (VRC) in 2013. This was the first centre of its kind in Africa to be housed at a university, and enabled the Department to realistically simulate a range of mining functions in a low-risk, highimpact learning environment. The facilities comprise a wall-to-wall 3D theatre, as well as an immersive mine simulation theatre, which casts 360° images against dark surrounding panels with cinematic clarity and highly realistic sound effects. The infrastructure development, which was completed in 2015, included new offices for the Department on the fifth floor of the Mineral Sciences Building, while African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) provided funding for a new mining exhibition centre. ARM also provided funding to support postgraduate students to pursue a research career, which – to my mind – is dearly needed in South Africa.
Another highlight over the past 15 years has been the establishment of five industry-funded research chairs, which enabled the Department to expand the focus of its research. The Department’s first research chair was the Sasol Chair in Safety, Health and Environment, which was active between 2012 and 2017. The Harmony Gold Chair in Rock Engineering and Numerical Modelling was established in 2013 with support over three years to conduct research on a safer working environment in the hard-rock mining industry. Harmony Gold subsequently extended its initial sponsorship of the research chair by a further three years in 2016 and again in 2020. The AEL Intelligent Blasting Chair for Innovative Rock-breaking Technology was established in 2018 to establish the University as a centre of excellence for emerging rock-breaking technologies. It would make use of the VRC to focus on three-dimensional blast simulation and the visualisation of new research. The Exxaro Chair in Extended Reality (XR) Technology was established in 2020, in collaboration with the Department of Information Science, with the aim of designing XR technologies that can enable intuitive interaction with virtual environments. The Murray & Roberts Chair in Industry Leadership 4.0 was established in 2019 to facilitate research in leadership relevant to mining. The research conducted in this Chair is supplemented by the Murray & Roberts Mining Engineering Leadership Academy (M&R MELA), which forms part of the final-year students’ Mine Design curriculum. This expands on an initiative launched in 2013 to develop the non-technical (soft) skills of students, and assists graduates to adapt to the challenges of the world of work.
McKinsey released a report on the skills needed for the future of work in June 2021, which in a big way confirmed that, as a Department, we are addressing critical issues in our leadership academy, such as critical thinking, communication, mental flexibility, developing relationships and teamwork effectiveness. Under the banner of self-leadership, McKinsey highlighted the following as key aspects: self-awareness and self-management, entrepreneurship and goals achievement.
In recognition of the fact that a resilient mining industry is of particular relevance to Africa, the Department launched the Mining Resilience Research Centre (MRRC) in 2017. This is a multidisciplinary research centre that contributes to solutions for complex mining problems through the rigorous integration of scientific research, the pursuit of practically implementable solutions and the education of graduates who are equipped with relevant skills.
The Department has also developed innovative teaching and learning initiatives during the past decade and a half. These have been aimed at supporting undergraduate students and enhancing the Department’s throughput and success rate, while ensuring that it delivers well-rounded mining engineers to the workforce. Industry visits form part of the Department’s curriculum, and serve to expose students to what they can expect when they start working at a mining operation.
Another initiative to support students to succeed academically is the English Literacy training drive, which was launched in the Department in 2014. This was developed following the identification of students’ mastery of the English language as one of the challenges that affected their An important focus of the Department is the wellbeing of its students. Its interaction with its students takes place according to a value-driven framework, guided by the values of respect, care, honesty, integrity and trust. Where possible, the Department lends support to avert any anxiety students may experience during their studies, especially students who are in need. Mining engineering students are given the opportunity to network and socialise with other students and staff of the Department outside lecture halls through the Tuks Mining Society, a student organisation that supports the Department’s students on a holistic level. A mentorship programme is also in place where junior students are assigned senior students to assist them with academic issues and provide guidance based on personal experience.
The Department benefits from the expertise of leaders from industry and academia, who serve on the Mining Engineering Advisory Board. It is my pleasure to welcome five new advisory board members, and I wish to thank them for making themselves available to serve on the Board. They are Mr Leon Joseph, Mr Kennedy Sengani, Ms Nozipho Dlamini, Ms Mbali Phejaolema and Mr Charles Makgala. The Department also enjoys the active support of its alumni through the Mining Alumni Society of the University of Pretoria (MASUP). Through this platform, alumni support the Department by raising sponsorships, and ensuring that a high level of skills and educational standards are maintained. This society also serves as a social network for mining engineers in industry.
The Department’s alumni are among the leaders of industry locally and abroad, and currently include more than 30 individuals who serve in the leadership ranks of prominent organisations and on their boards of directors, and are recognised for the role they play in the development of the country’s economy. These individuals are also ambassadors for the University of Pretoria, and enhance its image through their exceptional achievements as the chief executive officers, chief operating officers, managing directors and executive heads of various mining companies.
One of the most recent achievements of our alumni of which I am exceptionally proud is the appointment of the Department’s alumni to the top positions in the country’s two foremost mining industry associations: Mr Francois Janse van Rensburg as the current president of the Association of Mine Managers South Africa (AMMSA) and Mr Rico van Staden as the current president of the South African Colliery Managers’ Assosciation (SACMA). Ms Nozipo Dlamini has also been elected to follow Mr Van Staden as the president of SACMA for 2022–23. This will make her the first black female president of SACMA.
In conclusion, I wish to thank our alumni and industry partners for their support over the past 60 years, and look forward to celebrating this milestone in the Department’s history over the coming year.
Prof Ronny Webber-Youngman Head of Department: Department of Mining Engineering
2020/21 HIGHLIGHTS
Despite the continuing constraints imposed on the activities of the Department by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2021/21, the Department is still able to look back on its achievements with pride.
The highlight for the Department was the University of Pretoria’s ranking in the top 50 worldwide for its minerals and mining engineering discipline in the QS World University Subject Rankings for 2020/21, which ranks science, mathematics and technology courses from global universities. An important component of maintaining and improving this ranking is the quality of the Department’s research output. This coincided with the commencement of the Department’s diamond jubilee, with the theme “60 years of excellence in mining engineering education”, which would form an important part of the Department’s activities in 2021/22. Several high-profile events that were held in commemoration of this important milestone enhanced the Department’s visibility, as well as the leading role of its alumni in the mining industry. The festivities are to culminate in the MASUP Presidential Dinner and Department of Mining Engineering Birthday Celebration Dinner on 5 March 2022.
In terms of research, the Department’s objective is to improve the number of articles published in internationally accredited, peer-reviewed journals, to increase the number of citations these journal articles attract, and to improve the impact factor (H-index score) of its researchers. There is also an ongoing drive for staff to apply for ratings from the National Research Foundation (NRF) and to increase the output of outstanding postgraduate students.
Unfortunately, due to the impact of the pandemic and the cancellation of several conferences, completed papers could not be presented or published as planned. Those journal papers that were completed and submitted during the period under review will only be published later in 2021 due to the slow journal referee processes as a result of the challenges imposed by the pandemic. Nonetheless, this backlog has given the Department a very healthy publication pipeline for 2021/22, and five of these submitted paper have already been published.
The Department’s research approach was aligned to a strategic decision taken in 2019 to place greater focus on areas of outstanding research and to build on these areas. During the period under review, the Department therefore focused its research efforts on growing capacity in the following five key research areas:
Mechanisation and automation
Rock-breaking and explosive engineering Management and leadership Rock engineering Extended reality (XR) technology
Postgraduate research is anticipated to occur in each of these five areas.
As in previous years, the Department made use of industry experts, appointed on a part-time basis, to conduct cutting-edge research in these areas. This is linked to the Department’s strategic intent to increase its capacity in each of these research areas.
