MINING INDABA •
Students in the school’ s postgraduate programme contribute directly to innovation in mining through their research reports.
A vital platform provided to students by the school includes not only foundational knowledge in science and engineering, but the inspiration and ability to think in innovative ways about problems and their solutions. Industry expects a high level of problemsolving ability, and the school must also meet the stringent requirements of the Engineering Council of South Africa – which accredits our courses.
Joining hands Students in the school’ s post-graduate programme contribute directly to innovation in mining through their research reports. More than half of our postgraduate research is aimed at solving a specific challenge faced by the sector. We collaborate with research institutions like the Mandela Mining Precinct and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research( CSIR).
The school draws extensively on industry skills when conducting academic assessments; we engage leading professionals in the mining sector for roles such as external examiners, for instance. As academics, we also co-teach and co-assess with these experts in the field, who often contribute to our lecture programmes. On the other side of the coin, we encourage students to engage with industry professionals – which they can effectively do through the mining sector’ s various associations and societies.
Research impacts As importantly, our teaching staff will often guide postgraduate students into research projects with direct value for mining companies and supervise these projects to ensure the most productive outcomes. This adds considerable value to the whole sector, often in immediate financial terms but especially in longer term innovations.
Another aspect of the partnership between academia and industry is the impact of our research. The research of postgraduate students is frequently published in respected journals alongside their academic supervisors, who are themselves often leading lights in one of the mining disciplines. A leading rock engineering expert and emeritus professor at the school, Professor T. R.( Dick) Stacey, acknowledged the role of student research in a 2017 paper he wrote on‘ Rock Engineering as a Creator of Value’.
Dr Paseka Leeuw, School of Mining Engineering head, University of the Witwatersrand School of Mining Engineering.
Professor Bekir Genc, responsible for research and innovation at Wits Mining School.
It is also important for the university to open its doors to industry, as part of our mutually supportive partnership. The South African National Institute of Rock Engineering( SANIRE), for example – which holds regular gatherings each year – comes to Wits for one of these meetings. Students make valuable connections at these events and learn directly from the technical talks. Similarly, other organisations across the mining sector host technical events and forums to which our students are regularly exposed to.
As academics, we also coteach and co-assess with these experts in the field, who often contribute to our lecture programmes.
He called the paper a‘ celebration’ of the students he had supervised in his field over the years. Conducting their research while employed on mines, in consulting companies and in research organisations, these students make a valuable contribution to the mining industry. Without the willingness of industry players to reach out to undergraduates and postgraduates alike, we would not enjoy the fruits of collaboration to the extent
Ohveshlan Pillay, lecturer at Wits Mining School with a focus on rock engineering, and chair of the South African National Institute of Rock Engineering( SANIRE), Gauteng Branch.
that we do. There is much more we can do together, however, and the School of Mining Engineering at Wits will continue to build these bridges in the interests of scientific advancement. •
www. africanmining. co. za African Mining Publication African Mining African Mining • January 2026 • 43