EDITORIALS

We are South African, we are Tukkies and we are mining alumni!

Being 50 years old implies that you may have either grown up or just old. You may just exist or you may be living and thriving.

From humble beginnings in 1961 to its half century in 2011, there is no doubt that the Department of Mining Engineering at the University of Pretoria has grown up, and has embraced and identified with the opportunities presented in a democratic South Africa. It is also obvious that there is a clear understanding of the challenges faced in a fiercely competitive world, and that changes have been and are continually being undertaken to keep abreast with changing technologies in education and mining. The department is thriving in these trying times and has found innovative ways of resolving funding and skills shortages.

Instrumental in all of this, however, are the faces who have made and who are making it happen. We honour the Founding Members, the Heads of Department, the Lecturers, Administrative staff, the Students, and the Alumni who have and are tirelessly serving our educational institution, society, and the mining industry. It is your passion and endeavours that spearhead the growth and development that places our Alma Mater at the forefront.

As President of the Mining Alumni Society of the University of Pretoria, and on behalf of the MASUP Management Committee and all the Mining Alumni, it is my honour and privilege to congratulate the staff of the Department of Mining Engineering and specifically Prof. R.C.W. Webber-Youngman, on '1961-2011 Celebrating 50 years of Excellence in Mining Engineering Education'.

Ronny, we are proud of you and your team and wish you the best of luck in your tireless endeavours to create a learning environment in which students can excel and are equipped to contribute maximally in building a better mining industry, and hence a better future for all South Africans. We acknowledge that there is no substitute for education.

We are proudly South African

We are proudly Tukkies

We are proudly Mining Alumni

M. Conradie
President of the Mining Alumni Society of the University of Pretoria