Exclusive Opinion Piece for SA Mining
Brindaveni Naidoo reports
Improving and establishing collaboration, partnerships and relationships with students, employees at the school, other universities, professional organisations and the mining industry remains a strategic imperative for the new head of the University of the Witwatersrand’s (Wits’) School of Mining Engineering – Professor Cuthbert Musingwini.
Having lectured at Wits since 2004, Musingwini has over 20 years of experience in the mining sector – including mine production management and planning, consulting and academia.
Dr Cuthbert Musingwini associate professor Wits School of Mining Engineering
He began his career in the Zimbabwean gold mining industry then as a fellow researcher – and later a lecturer – at the University of Zimbabwe.
At the outset, Musingwini is a humble individual, who remains passionate about being an academic [despite his new position] and continues to lecture at both undergraduate and post-graduate levels. And he is definitely adding his midas touch to bring about even more positive change to the institute.
He is already hard at work, together with his team at the school, and has identified five critical goals that will drive and govern the school’s strategic actions.
The first is to increase the research output at the school – referred to as the senior lecturer research equivalent (SLRe) – an instrument of measurement for research.
“The SLRe in the School has been on slight downward trajectory since 2012. I am engaging with current and aspiring PhD-level staff members to accelerate progress with their research and we are identifying several mechanisms to assist and streamline any processes to increase the research output.”
The second goal identified aims to improve the effectiveness of teaching and learning for better throughput. Musingwini reveals that there are various initiatives planned towards achieving this.
Following which, the next goal is to improve academic support systems. For example, Musingwini explains that, weekend tutorials are currently underway to assist students, who each also have mentors to guide them through their years of study and address challenges experienced. However, the university has always taken a proactive position with regard to addressing the external factors that impact academic performance. It is almost a ‘grass roots’ approach to improving performance levels. For example, the school has invested its resources and time to help improve the living standards of students where applicable.
Meanwhile, visibility of staff at the school is important not only within the institution but also outside of Wits, stresses Musingwini. This is why the next and fourth goal seeks to improve visibility.
“It is important that staff members, as representatives of academia and the school, are members of professional bodies, such as the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM), the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA) and the Mine Ventilation Society of South Africa, etc. As an educational institution, we work with many of these professional bodies, which is why representation within these organisations is critical. Stronger relationships make conversations about important issues much easier.”
And Musingwini leads by example – he is a member and fellow at the SAIMM, as well as a member of the Society of Mining Professors and professional engineer registered with ECSA.
The last and fifth goal seeks to create collaboration or partnerships with industry, local and international universities, as well as to review existing collaborations to determine thier value-add to collaborators.
For example, Musingwini, has initiated dialogue to establish a forum with other Heads of Mining of Mining Schools at the University of South Africa, the University of Johannesburg and the University of Pretoria. “In creating a forum, we will be creating a vehicle through which we can have a common voice to address issues that we commonly experience at a university level, as well as to enhance the conversations we have with industry and government.” A meeting is planned between the heads of the aforementioned schools in April, says Musingwini. “It is still early days but, I am confident that it will be a successful venture.”
Meanwhile, Musingwini’s position as the head of the school was official as of February 01, 2015. The professor also held the position of deputy head of the school from April 2014 to December 2014. He took over from Professor Fred Cawood, who will now be the Interim Institute Professor for the Wits Mining Research Institute. .
“I have been fortunate to have had a smooth transition into this position, be able to lead a committed staff and am excited to represent a school that is recognised as one of the top mining engineering schools throughout the world,” says Musingwini.
Ends.
About the University of the Witwatersrand’s School of Mining Engineering
The School ranks among the top in the world and boasts one of the most expansive programmes. It is the largest English-speaking school of mining engineering and one of the fastest growing – with a student body in excess of 800 students. Among undergraduates, over a third are women. Offering world-class, accredited programmes for South Africa, Africa and the world, the School prioritises multi-disciplinary research into best-practice innovations and technology to forge a mining sector that is safer, more productive, environmentally and socially responsible, and economically successful.