Abstract

MUSIYARIRA, H.; HOLLENBERG, T.  and  SHAVA, P.. Enhancing sustainability of minerals engineering programmes through the development of a Minerals Resource Centre. J. S. Afr. Inst. Min. Metall. [online]. 2018, vol.118, n.8, pp.861-864. ISSN 2411-9717.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2018/v118n8a8.

Depressed mineral commodity prices have a significant impact on the minerals industry, particularly from a sustainability perspective. In this regard, tertiary institutions across the world offering minerals education face enormous sustainability challenges. This problem is not limited to the developing world. The Department of Mining and Process Engineering (DMPE) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) was established in 2009 with the objective of developing a critical human resource base for Namibia's mining industry. Despite the current challenges, the DMPE has the potential to make a significant contribution to the future of Namibia and the country's Vision 2030 skills imperatives. This paper presents the DMPE's strategy to ensure sustainability through mapping out a trajectory to provide quality minerals engineering programmes and strengthen capacity for the local industry through consultancy, research, and development. In the short to medium term, the DMPE aims to enhance its research capacity through the development of postgraduate programmes and the establishment of a national centre of excellence - the Namibia Resource Engineering Centre (NREC). The NREC's envisaged mission is to be an internationally recognized centre of excellence for research, consultancy, innovation, and technology transfer in resource engineering. The NREC will become a key enabler of national development through partnerships with the resource industry, government organizations, and communities. The sustainability of institutions offering minerals engineering programmes depends on their ability to deliver value to local industry.

Keywords : sustainability; mining education; research and development; centre of excellence.

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